


Thor: Thunderstruck (Part II)

by Thorfanficwriter



Series: Thor: Thunderstruck [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Breed Kink, Chubby Thor, Depression, Drinking to Cope, Drowning, Established Relationship, Excessive Drinking, F/M, Guilt, Infertility, Jötnar | Jotuns | Frost Giants (Norse Religion & Lore), Light Dom/sub, Love, Mental Health Issues, Mild Smut, New Asgard, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Relationship Problems, Sea God, Self-Destruction, Sex, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2020-05-20 04:01:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 36,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19369399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorfanficwriter/pseuds/Thorfanficwriter
Summary: Thor is not the same man who left Earth to go hunting for Infinity Stones. His home is gone, the entire Universe thrown into chaos and even the Avengers are no longer what they once were. Can the God of Thunder return to the love of his life and hold onto her after everything that has happened?This part of the story takes place within the Endgame timeline. Oh, also, Loki and Heimdall are alive! A few references to Thor: Thunderstruck Part I. Not absolutely necessary, but some things will make more sense if you read that first.Just like Part I, this takes place within the MCU timeline, trying to stay true to those characterizations, as well. Jarnsaxa comes from the Norse Mythology of Thor's mistress, a Jotun Wave Maiden, but I have taken artistic liberty with her.





	1. Seldom A Single Wave

**Author's Note:**

> This work is to be read on AO3 only. Please do not use any of the many available reader apps, ESPECIALLY THOSE MAKING MONEY VIA ADS OR PAID PREMIUMS. These apps are making money off the hard work of content creators who get zero compensation. Additionally, these apps reformat the works without permission which I feel infringes on our rights as creators. I hope you will support me and other artists in continuing to uphold the principles and spirit of bringing you the free fanwork you enjoy.

_The Statesman_

After the makeshift throne had been assumed at the helm of the spacecraft, he followed his brother, now king, on their way back to his quarters. “Do you not fear Earth’s reaction when we show up with all these refugees?” He was confident there would be trouble, but not in his brother’s ability to protect him. Earthlings were not particularly forgiving and Thor’s allegiance with them could prove problematic to say the least. It had only been a few years ago, after all, when Loki had tried to take over the entire planet. Now the Protector of the Nine Realms had a hoard of his own people to not only look after, but rule over. Where did the troublesome, adopted Jotun now fall in his highness’ list of priorities? 

“No one had any better ideas. You well know other Asgardians have emigrated there over the centuries. Fear not. It will work out.” The Trickster suspected Thor was trying to convince himself more than anyone. The tone of his voice was less than reassuring. The warrior’s normal bravado was nowhere to be found. The one thing he liked less than Thor’s overconfidence was his uncertainty. 

Still, there seemed to be more going on with his typically single-minded brother. Judging by the look on the blond’s face, he surmised, “There’s another reason you are anxious to return, isn’t there? Please tell me you haven’t fallen for yet another one of those mortals.” The conclusion hardly required magical or other supernatural prowess. With a sigh, Loki added, “You are tediously predictable.” 

“Let’s just say it’s a surprise,” Thor answered, grinning and entering the suite. 

“There are rarely any surprises with you.” Loki swiftly forced a hand to Thor’s forehead and was able to see the memories of a woman come forth. He was also able to feel how deeply his brother loved her. To his astonishment, however, it was not at all as he assumed. “I stand corrected. This is completely unexpected. Such depth of feeling, and a Wave Maiden no less! Father said they were a myth. The man’s lies were endless.” 

“You ruined it,” the king pouted, stomping inside. He was too tired to even remove his armor before sitting with his feet up. “You may as well now know, we were bound.” 

“Brother, I am not interested in your debauchery.” 

“Not bondage.” He rolled his eyes. “A binding.” 

“You cannot be serious.” 

“Are you familiar with the ritual?” 

“It was mentioned in one of Mother’s books on magic. The Jotun do not take that lightly.” 

“Nor do I. She is my soulmate. We are meant to be together.”  

“When did this take place?” 

Thor told him the entire story of meeting the goddess in London from the day they first met in Selvig’s apartment until leaving to find the Infinity Stones. He was glad to finally share some of the many remembrances that had carried him through his quest. There were also many things he didn’t share. Not only the intimate memories, but those that were difficult to put into words, such as the pull she had on him, the effect of her mere presence and the connection they shared. 

The time with her in London was the happiest he had ever been, as brief as it was. Even reliving the arguments they’d had brought a smile to his face. While wishing the search had resulted better, he was admittedly glad to have the worst behind him and looked forward to going back. They would find a way to make a new home, together. 

The beam of joy emanating from Thor’s face was not missed by Loki. He couldn’t recall seeing such pure emotion in the warrior before. It was a nice change. Maybe he had underestimated that side of Odin’s son all these years. “She makes you happy, then?” 

“That doesn’t even begin to describe it, but yes.” Thor stepped to the window, gazing out at the stars, excited to soon be with her again. A frown grew at the reflection caught in the window. His appearance had altered drastically since their last meeting. The scar running across the eye Hela had taken, the ridiculously hacked haircut received on Sakaar, his haggard look, all came about within a matter of weeks. Although their bond was far deeper than the physical, as with any man, Thor still wanted to feel desirable. He worried how she would react to the drastic changes. 

“Your taste has improved at least.” Loki joined his side and asked, “Do you really think it’s a good idea to go back to Earth?” 

“Yes, of course. The people of Earth love me. I’m very popular.” 

“Let me rephrase that. Do you really think it’s a good idea to bring _me_ back to Earth?” 

“Probably not, to be honest. I wouldn’t worry, brother. I feel like everything’s going to work out fine.” 

 _I’m sure it will, for you. It always works out for you_ , he thought. Loki did not like his chances returning to the planet he had tried to dominate while under the control of Thanos. Humans were notoriously close-minded about those kinds of things. While he hoped Thor would provide him with some sort of sanctuary if necessary, it was better to avoid testing those waters. Just as he began considering alternative options, an extraordinarily large shape emerged outside the glass. 

“What the hell is that?” asked Thor. 

“It is not friendly. I can tell you that.” Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the craft and the pair ran for the ship’s bridge.


	2. A Fair Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some necessarily hasty decisions, Loki visits The Sea Palace.

He’d only had seconds available to assist Heimdall with conjuring the Dark Magic required. The distraction of his brother being easily battered and beaten before him didn’t help matters. There was no time to weigh all the possible outcomes. Not an ideal situation in which to plot an escape. But the longer the princes held Thanos’s attention, the more Asgardian survivors might have a chance to flee. 

As soon as the seer opened the Bifrost to Earth, Loki created their doubles. The Hulk was thrown who-knew-where and The Trickster sent Heimdall to Tonsberg to follow those who had already evacuated before making his own exit. He prayed to the Allfathers that Thor would find a way to evade the clutches of death once more. 

In the meantime, Loki decided the safest place for himself would be with family, as removed as they may be. That was how he wound up deposited inside the grand foyer of The Sea Palace being escorted down an incredibly long hallway. Although stumped as to exactly how, he was imminently thankful for the ability to breathe normally. Some sort of airlock system he imagined. 

The guards surrounding him were at least seven feet tall, humanoid but with aqua colored skin covered in shimmering scales. Loki guessed they were male, if they had any gender at all, and assumed it highly unlikely any of them had ever stepped on land. He had never seen nor heard of such creatures in the humans’ bizarre lexicon of monsters and beasts. The sentries carried long, narrow tridents and were shirtless, wearing skirts made of leather-like material along with heavy boots. Each of their weighty footsteps shook the floor as they made their way down the corridor. 

Certainly, he had visited stranger realms, but there was something uniquely disconcerting about this underwater home. Only he and his escorts seemed to be walking about. He neither saw nor heard anyone else along their path. It was lit solely by a luminescent substance glowing off the opalescent walls. He wondered how they slept. Who even knew if that was something they did. _Do they have any sense of day or night?_   

It seemed like ten full minutes went by before being stopped in front of a pair of large, imposing doors. They were not especially ornate like some of the others they passed. He assumed this was a more personal room. As it opened to the royals’ family dining chamber, a guard stepped forward and addressed the king. “Pardon, your highnesses. Loki of Asgard has arrived unexpectedly.” 

Aegir slapped his hand on the table and howled, “Why do these Asgardians insist upon ruining our dinners?” 

“Technically, he’s Jotun, Father,” a female voice answered.  

“Yes. But we all know who raised him. Very well, bring him in.” 

The unexpected visitor entered with arms open wide and a smile to match. “Hello, cousins!” He hadn’t noticed the woman rushing into his arms, throwing him a little off balance before being embraced tightly. Easing her cautiously away, he noted the tawny skin and dark, wavy hair his brother had depicted so vividly. “You’re Jarnsaxa, I presume?” 

“Yes,” she answered, wiping tears from her eyes. “Thor told you about me? Where is he? Is he alright?” Taking his hand, she led him to the table and motioned for one of the guards to bring another chair by hers, barely able to contain herself for want of some word about her beloved. It had been over a year since Thor had visited with the wizard, and then they had only shared a few moments. 

The room must have been intended only for use by family and intimate guests. The table held space for the royals and more, but it was not large enough for hosting elaborate dinners. While it was relatively simple, it was still very elegant. The room glittered with sea glass, abalone, mother-of-pearl, coral and other natural treasures from the sea. However, the main features were the tall windows by which a multitude of wonderous animals swam. Uncharacteristically, he was in awe and at a loss for words while taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. It didn’t help matters that the Wave Maidens were exponentially more stunning than described by Thor’s limited vocabulary. 

Once they were seated, Jarnsaxa continued the handhold which he found both odd and reassuring at the same time. He didn’t know anything at all about their world. Without a clear directive in mind, he felt literally out of his depth.  

A glance into his new friend’s eyes showed such hopeful longing, he was debating on how to best break the news when the king intervened, “Daughter, our guest looks tired and worn. Let us first find out what he needs. Loki, what brings you here?” 

“Asgard has been destroyed.” Hearing Jarnsaxa gasp, he gently squeezed her hand in consolation. “We were transporting the remaining refugees to Earth when our spacecraft was attacked by the Titan, Thanos. He is collecting the Infinity Stones. He has four of the six now and has gained enormous power. He even bested The Hulk.” 

“What was Banner doing there?” 

“Jarnsaxa, don’t interrupt,” her father scolded. 

Loki turned to her, “There’s a lot I need to tell you, privately. Later.” He patted her hand then continued addressing the group. “Some of the Asgardians managed to escape to Norway. Thanos and his minions slaughtered the rest. Due to my past with the humans, I hoped you’d be kind enough to give me sanctuary.” 

“Of course, you are welcome here. Now, please tell us of Thor before my daughter perishes.” 

Seeing tears again, he assured her, “Believe me, I would not have left had I not every confidence he could handle himself. If there is one thing my brother is good at, it is surviving catastrophic events. I don’t expect this will be any different. I do wish I could tell you more.” 

Despite the stories Thor had related to her about their childhood, she had no reason to think Loki would lie to her, even if just to spare feelings. That was a weakness indulged in only by mortals. He would have to be taken at his word. But she knew he was holding back. The sheer frustration of not knowing where Thor could be or how he was doing was maddening. Her anxiety grew worse. 

Queen Ran stood, indicating Loki join her. “Come with me. Let’s make you comfortable and get you cleaned up. We will have some food brought to your room. It sounds like you could use some rest.” As Loki was led, again, down the great hallway to the guest quarters, she told him, “We were very sad to hear of Frigga’s and Odin’s passings. We were all wonderful friends a long time ago.” Noting the surprise on his face she added, “That’s a story for another day. For now, please make yourself at home. I will send some attendants along shortly to see to whatever you need.” 

After the attendants left, he washed and changed into the more relaxed garb laid out for him, all the while unable to stop thinking about Jarnsaxa’s distress. He was surprised that a seductress could develop such strong feelings for someone, but it was certainly undeniable. The goddess didn’t strike him as either weak or dim witted. The notion of his brother winning over such a woman intrigued Loki. He looked forward to learning more about her as well as the rest of the family.  

Exploring the corridor, he found a room where Jarnsaxa was being consoled by her sisters. He cleared his throat and said, “Hello,” when they quieted. “I don’t like eating alone and I thought maybe you’d like to talk.” 

“We can speak here. Anything you tell me I’d just repeat for them anyway. Please, come in.” 

One of the sisters, tall with ebony skin and long, dark braids gave up her seat next to Jarnsaxa. “I’m Angeyja, the eldest. Sit here. We’ll bring your tray over so you can finish eating.” 

A short, pale, blonde stepped forward. “I’m Ulfrun. Has anyone offered you anything to drink yet? Would you like some of Hymir’s Brew?” she asked coyly. 

Jarnsaxa glared at her. “That is not what he is here for! Remember that he is family.”  

“Barely,” Ulfrun grumbled. 

Jarnsaxa ignored her and looked at Loki beseechingly. “I haven’t seen Thor since he went to retrieve your father. What has happened?” 

Loki began his tale where they found Odin, conveniently leaving out the fact it was he who had sent his father to Earth in the first place. “His death unleashed Hela, Goddess of Death who, by the way, is our sister. Surprise! _She_ was actually Odin's first born. Anyway, she destroyed Thor’s hammer and when I called the Bifrost for escape, she followed. We were separated but coincidentally both landed on to the planet of Sakaar where we also found The Hulk. The Grand Master pitted the green giant against my brother in a fight to the death, but not before cutting off most of his hair. Perhaps to try to degrade him. I’m not sure. In any case, Thor and Banner ended up escaping with the help of a Valkyrie who had apparently been in self-exile for centuries. I thought it prudent to steal a second, larger ship and help a band of revolutionaries leave. We all returned to Asgard to save our people. Hela nearly killed Thor. He lost an eye. In order to finally defeat her, I had to resurrect Surtur which brought about Ragnarok. The remaining Asgardians, the ones Hela or her army hadn't killed, were led to the massive spaceship that I had stolen and we watched as our home planet exploded. We charted a course for Earth and were attacked by Thanos. Valkyrie was able to evacuate many, mostly women, children and elders. When I saw what Heimdall intended, that’s when I arranged for his and my escape. I fear Thor believes us dead.” 

“Why wouldn’t you have done the same for your brother?” 

“Firstly, he was under the control of The Maw. His magic is even more powerful than mine. We were very lucky our use of Dark Magic went unnoticed. Secondly, Thor never would have forgiven me if I had torn him away from the few survivors on the ship.” 

To spare her further upset, he redirected their conversation and refrained from recanting exactly how badly Thor had been hurt by the Titan. Afterall, the clumsy oaf had bounced back from near death countless times before. Surely, things would work out once again. 


	3. Hidden In Ash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Snap leaves Thor frantically searching and desperate.

Everything came to a sudden halt. The world had gone incredibly quiet for a moment. The abrupt loss of sound confused things further as the god’s mind struggled to comprehend what his other senses were trying to convey. Thanos was gone. The aliens were gone. 

The spell was broken by a familiar voice. “Where’d he go? Thor? Where’d he go?” Rogers didn’t realize the fight was over. 

“Steve?” A man unfamiliar to Thor called out then faded to dust before their eyes. More voices in the distance began calling out to friends and comrades disappearing one by one. 

 _Jarnsaxa_.

The memory hit him harder than the Titan ever did. In the turmoil of the Asgardian massacre, in the fervor of his lust for vengeance he had somehow forgotten all about her. Had he been so consumed by rage to so easily dismiss the woman he loved from his mind? 

Once the shock wore off, fully understanding what the consequence meant, Thor fell to his knees and started muttering, "No. No...no...no!" As quickly as possible, he removed the top half of his armor. Brushing fingertips over the bind-rune scar on his chest to confirm it was still there, he took a deep breath of relief. That was a good sign. 

He hoped.  

It had to be. 

Concerned, Cap ran over and asked, "Are you alright? Were you hurt?"  

A look of desperation came over the dirty, scarred face. He turned to Natasha and asked, "Do you know how to get in touch with J?" 

With a shake of the head, she answered, "I haven't heard from her in over a year." 

"Where's Stark? Did we lose him?" 

"He's been missing for days. There's been no communication." 

Beginning to panic, he jumped up and said, "I need to go." 

"Go where?" Banner asked as he crawled out of the HulkBuster suit. At the same time Rogers asked, "What’s going on?" 

Without further response, Thor used Stormbreaker to leave Wakanda, ignoring the shouts after him. There was nothing more he could do for them. He had more pressing matters. Nothing further would stand in his way. He would find her if it was the last thing he did. 

* * *

There was no way of knowing the Sea Palace’s exact location. Doctor Strange had simply opened a portal when Thor previously visited. Surely, the wizard could be convinced to help him again.  

He used the Bifrost to return to the New York City Sanctum, discovering the building in shambles. There was a huge hole in the roof and a corresponding one in the main staircase directly beneath. Something extremely large had obviously caused the destruction, but there was no sign as to what it might have been. Thor conducted a thorough search of the premises only to find it completely devoid of life. Oblivious to the mayhem out in the street caused by The Snap, he decided to move on. 

London was the next place he thought to check, hoping Jarnsaxa might think to wait there. When he went to the old apartment, there was no answer. After kicking in the door, he saw the interior completely changed. The furnishings had all been replaced and there were photos of a couple who must have been the new tenants.  

Thinking to check on Selvig, Thor remembered his friend had moved back to The States to work at the Facility. It was very possible that the professor, Jane and Darcy had all been victims of his error. The weight on his shoulders grew even heavier. 

Dejected, he exited the building and began wandering aimlessly, barely registering the distress of people around him. Abandoned and wrecked cars had jammed the streets and even some areas of sidewalk. Sirens blared from all directions. He was oblivious, focused only on his goal. 

Surely, the Wave Maiden was still alive if the binding was intact, but how to reach her? With no other options, he took off for the Avengers Facility.  

His arrival at the compound came not long after the quinjet had landed. The others were in the midst of getting room assignments when Thor began haranguing Natasha. He begged her to search through SHIELD’s databases for any potential files they might have on the Palace’s location. Despite his clear distress, she maintained her calm, stoic façade as he followed at her heels and watched over her shoulder while she worked.  

Due to the disruption of the Internet and satellite communication, there was only access to locally housed data. The few files available on the Wave Maidens required Fury’s clearance. She might be able to hack in, but it would take hours, maybe days. In any case, that was the type of intel the SHIELD Director kept to himself. Even in his disappointment, the god thanked her for helping, recognizing it had been a long shot. The Jotuns would want their whereabouts to remain a secret. 

In what she knew was a weak attempt at consolation, Natasha assured him that as systems were restored, she would try again. Thor’s face went blank as he just stood there, unwilling or unable to do anything further. 

Down in his soul, he believed his love was alive. He just couldn’t think of any other way to get to her. One last catastrophic failure shouldn’t have been any surprise. It seemed that was his new normal, as Earthlings liked to say. Though he didn’t want to give up, it looked like Fate had other plans for him. Apparently, he was destined to lose absolutely everyone he ever loved. 

He hadn’t bothered changing out of his armor during his frantic search. Nat took him down the hall to assign a dorm where he could clean up and rest. There was a horrendous clang as Stormbreaker was heedlessly dropped to the floor. More dissonance ensued as he pulled off his boots and chest plates, tossing them aside. If he even registered her presence, he didn’t seem to care whether Natasha stayed or not. She quickly shut the door to give him privacy.  

The abnormal quiet throughout the compound was an ever-present reminder of what his carelessness had cost. Not that Thor needed reminding. The recollections in his mind replaying on a loop did that well enough. Added to the piled heap of dung he’d made, not only of his life, but the entire universe as well, the inability to find Jarnsaxa was the ultimate, cosmic insult. 

They were meant to be together. She was alive. He knew these things in his bones. Here they were on the same planet, yet they may as well be galaxies apart. 

Hour upon hour was spent lying in bed, leaving the room only once to go to the kitchen. He had found Rogers also there, sitting at the counter staring into a mug of tea. It looked untouched. The brief glance his fellow Avenger gave shared their grief in a way no words could. Retrieving a tumbler of water, Thor placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and gave a small, consoling squeeze before returning to his quarters. 

On bent knees, he spent much time speaking to his mother and praying to his ancestors for guidance. During the night, he stared blankly at either the ceiling or wall reassessing every single event after his father’s death. Nothing had gone right from that point on. The loss of the Allfather seemed to have caused a Universal imbalance. And when it came right down to it, all of it could have been avoided if he had only listened to his father and taken his rightful place as king when it was offered. Some Protector of The Nine Realms. 

Worse than that were the events that occurred after he visited Jarsaxa’s underwater home. Was it possible King Aegir had put some kind of curse on him? There had to be some explanation as to why not one thing had worked out in the past few weeks.  

The last tenuous thread of hope available was the belief that somehow these amazing friends of his, the ones that remained, would find a way to make things better again. If they didn’t, he didn’t know what he would do. 

* * *

“FRIDAY confirmed Thor’s still here. He stopped into the kitchen last night, but has anyone laid eyes on him since?” Steve looked at Natasha, Rhodey, Banner and Rocket. They, in turn, looked at each other then back at Cap. “That’s a negative then.” The last thing anyone needed was a god in command of one of the elements flying off the handle. The team didn’t have a chance of containing him if anything went awry. 

The raccoon offered, “You know, he survived outer space without a ship or a suit. He’ll be fine.”   

Reports of the missing-presumed dead were beginning to filter in. The Avengers’ attentions were redirected to more pressing matters as they began pulling up as many feeds as possible. Rocket slipped away unnoticed. 

The light outside was getting low when he knocked tentatively at Thor’s door. There was no response until he said, “It’s rude to ignore a guest.” 

A shuffling sound was heard, then the door opened. “What are you talking about?” Thor grumbled. 

“Me. I’m a guest on this planet.” 

“It's more like I got you stranded. Nevertheless, welcome to what I suppose is my new home, Rocket.” 

“You know my name?” 

“Of course, I know your name. I’m not an idiot.” 

“So, what was with all that Rabbit business?” 

“Honestly, my mind was a bit muddled at first. Having a Power Stone pressed against your skull then getting blown into the void tends to have that effect.” 

“Is that why you didn’t tell me about this woman of yours?” 

“Technically she’s a goddess, but maybe. I’m not quite sure. Now, it doesn’t really matter.” 

“Don’t tell me you’re giving up.” 

“I did not give up. I have been bested. There’s a difference. I’ve done everything I can trying to find her.” 

“You sure she’s...you know...not dust?” 

“I’m not sure of anything anymore.” Finally noticing the sadness in his new friend’s eyes, he said, “I’m sorry about Groot. Any word on the rest of your friends?” 

The raccoon shook his head, no. “Listen, I’m going to hunt around, see if there’s anything worth drinking around here. Wanna join me?” 

While the rest of the team diligently studied the incoming communications, the two friends went back to the common space and found a fully stocked liquor cabinet. Rocket opened the doors and said, “None of this is familiar to me.” 

“Midgardian libations tend to be rather weak and Stark probably kept the best stuff to himself. I like the flavor of this one, though,” Thor said, grabbing a nearly full bottle of tequila and two glasses. 

Once he poured their shares, he raised his glass. “Here’s to the fallen and the lost.” The two downed the drinks and Thor poured again. 


	4. Before The Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and J go in search of Thor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artistic license has been taken with the Norse mythology.

The king of the seas had been a very ambitious youth. During the Asgardian-Jotun War, he noted which way the tide turned, thus betrayed his brother, Laufey, in order to gain Odin’s favor. Aegir was rewarded with a kingdom of his own on the newest planet to The Nine Realms. The vast depth of the ocean was the perfect place to build for his new bride a palace they never could have back home. Once settled, it was easy for them, with their magic, to establish rule over the wild, unruly seas. The hidden underwater fortress was steadfast, untouched for millennia. They kept watch as the humans’ technology continued to advance, but no event had affected the stronghold before that fateful day. In the end, it had taken a more powerful being to mete devastation upon them. 

Loki’s confirmation that the losses were Thanos’s doing helped only in that they were not left completely clueless as to what happened. Unfortunately, their guest had no more idea than any of them as to the exact fate of those who’d turned to ash. The only information he could offer was the Titan’s insistence that the sacrifices would be completely random. 

Later, emissaries returned word that the Avengers, including the God of Thunder, had been seen in Wakanda. Tears finally drying, Jarnsaxa determined to return to the surface, certain Thor would be with Earth’s heroes. Surely, they were already making plans to rectify the situation.  

“What makes you so sure he wasn’t...you know?” Loki wondered. 

“The binding is still intact. Plus, I just know somehow. I can’t explain it, but I do.” 

Of course, her father commanded she stay put, but the goddess refused to comply. “I have to go look for him,” she insisted frantically. She turned, intending to storm out of the hall but the king made one small simple motion with his hand. Two guards each grabbed an arm and turned her to reface the throne. The futility of the struggle angered her all the more. 

“I have already lost my wife and three daughters and cannot bear to see another put herself in danger. Do you care so little for them you don’t even take time to properly mourn before chasing after your lover?” 

“If something can be done Thor, the Avengers or whatever remains of them, will do it, and if there’s even a small way we can assist, we should do so.” 

“The world is in chaos right now. Besides, he may not be alive,” Aegir tried to reason. 

“He’s alive and he’s close. I can feel it.” 

“Don’t be so melodramatic.” 

She hesitated and admitted that which she had been withholding from her parents. “I’m not. We were bound.”  

Aegir boomed, “Are you mad binding yourself to an Asgardian? The son of Odin, The Allfather, nonetheless! This is an outrageous betrayal!” 

“Oh, get over it, old man! Whatever caused the fallout between the two of you was eons ago and has nothing to do with us. There is nothing you can do about it now.” 

“And to keep it secret all this time.” 

“I was avoiding this very reaction, but now I don’t care. I’m going after him.” 

The king’s face turned nearly purple with anger. Loki was hesitant to step forward, concerned for lack of a better outlet Aegir’s rage would fall upon the only Asgardian within reach. But he also realized if he were ever to dare surface on Earth, now, while the humans were distracted, would be the time to do it. “Pardon the interruption, but I would be willing to provide her escort.” 

“I am a grown woman. I will make my own decisions and do not need a babysitter.” 

The harshness of her tone stung his tender ego. Over the previous few days, they had grown close. She spent most of her time with the prince, insatiable for stories about his and Thor’s misadventures. The God of Mischief even taught her some new magic. In turn, Loki learned there were aspects to his lifelong rival’s character of which he never before dreamed. They bonded over their shared affection for the man they both missed. 

As well, he felt he was gaining true allies for once in his life. Apparently, the politics of Earth’s underwater world were not terribly different from those on Asgard. Jarnsaxa expressed understanding for many of his frustrations and didn’t judge him for his transgressions. In fact, the entire family happily accepted him for who he was, warts and all.  

Tragic events have a way of strengthening relations or straining them further. Loki, who had had enough of family strife in his lifetime, wished to prevent another needless rift. He took a calming breath to ward off the intense emotional energy building in the room. Playing to his cousin’s sympathy would be the wisest course. “Cousin, I am also anxious to see my brother. Please, allow me to accompany you.”   

Jarnsaxa had come to view Loki as part of her family. After all, he could very well be an in-law one day. When he put his request in such a manner, she could not deny him.  

* * *

_Tonsberg_ _, Norway_  

They were deposited on the high cliffs of the western shore. As the rainbow-colored glow of the Bifrost dissipated, Loki commented, “You look a little queasy.” 

“I’ll be alright in a minute. Not my favorite mode of transportation.” 

“Sorry, but your way would have left me sopping wet.” 

The vertigo diminishing, Jarsaxa noted her clothing had rematerialized into a more climate appropriate outfit, as had Loki’s. She was surprised how stylish he looked wearing a simple, black turtleneck sweater and emerald green slacks. Seeing nothing but lush verdure before them, she asked, “This it?” 

Her guide pointed due North. “The town is about a mile that way.” 

They started walking. “Then why wouldn’t you put us down there?” 

“I admit to not being entirely sure what type of reception I’ll receive.” 

“Funny, you didn’t strike me as the kind who would worry about the opinion of others.” 

“The Asgardians have been through quite enough drama lately, much due to my family, and I can only imagine the state they are in now. I really have no desire to add to their troubles.” 

It wasn’t long before they saw, in the distance, a familiar dark-skinned figure heading towards them. Upon their approach, Loki experienced mixed feelings being greeted by the seer. The amends he had made to the man banished as a traitor during his guise as Odin couldn’t possibly have been enough. Heimdall was certainly no stranger to the god’s conniving, yet The Trickster had really outdone himself taking the throne.  

The only problem was nobody else had known it was him at the time. They all thought he was the Allfather. When it was finally revealed that he was the one who had brought Asgard back to its thriving status, the revelation was sullied by the fact he had fooled everyone. Returning to fight Hela and assist with the evacuation seemed to go a long way to appease the people, but that didn’t mean they trusted him.  

He was drawn from his musings, taken quite aback, when his travelling companion was addressed. 

“Hello, Mother.” 

“Very funny, Heimdall. It’s nice to see you again.” 

Loki turned to her and asked, “You two know each other?” 

“We met centuries ago. Yes.” 

Pointing back at Jarnsaxa, he asked, “Mother?” 

“It’s a joke. Heimdall, here, accompanied Odin and Frigga on one of their visits. Let’s just say he was enjoying himself and causing quite a ruckus among some of the handmaidens, to put it mildly. My sisters and I were instructed to bring him up to the surface to dry out so to speak. A human saw something he didn’t understand and spread a wild story about the nine of us birthing your friend here.” 

“That is beyond weird.” 

“Wait until you hear some of the stories they told about you,” she scoffed. “But I’m afraid it will have to. I’ve got more pressing matters.” 

The trio continued to walk to the commune of refugees that had made a home along the harbor. Heimdall looked at the Wave Maiden with his golden eyes, “You’re looking for Thor.” A confirming nod prompted, “After searching for you, he went to the Avenger’s Facility. You should know, he is unwell.” 

“Unwell? Is he injured?” 

“Not in the way you imagine. I am not exactly sure what is wrong. I’ve been trying to connect with him for days. Perhaps when Thanos used the Power Stone on him something was damaged that hasn’t fully healed.” 

Heimdall led them to the small harbor rife with fishing boats then continued escorting them through the market street, explaining the small town had slowly grown in number of Asgardians for centuries. There were more inhabitants living outside of the city limits as well, the established farms supplying food and trade. The few native human families left had become accustom to the occasional newcomer. But, witnessing the arrival of alien spacecraft with a sudden influx of immigrants had been disruption enough. The Snap happening only days later drove many of the humans away, convinced the Asgardians were to blame. 

“Thor needs to know we are safe and thriving. Morale here is understandably low. Valkyrie and I do our best, but they need their king. 

“We’ll get him here,” Jarnsaxa promised. 

“I’m afraid it’s just you, cousin,” Loki interjected. “The humans would surely see me locked away. I’m staying here.” He turned to the Heimdall. “That is, if you think the people will have me.” Seeing everything well-established and seemingly in order, he wasn’t sure exactly how he would fit in. It was certainly disconcerting, but intriguing as well. Without the politics and drama of the throne, here was an opportunity to start fresh. He could finally show everybody what he, Loki Laufeyson, was truly capable of. No tricks, no mischief. Just good, old fashioned brain power. 

“My prince, we all consider you just as much of an Asgardian as the rest of us. They will be more than pleased.” 

With some actual hope in his heart which had been long missed, Loki said, “I pray that it is so.” 


	5. A Brief Spell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor finds solace in a friend and a bottle then takes matters into his own hands.

The raucous voices were too loud and persistent to ignore. A deep timbre slurring a song about randy warriors returning home from battle greeted the team’s ears. Thor and Rocket, by the bar, stumbled around in attempt at some vague dance. Cap and Rhodey, recalling similar experiences from their days in the military couldn’t help but laugh even while shaking their heads. Bruce blushed, glancing at Natasha through his lashes. 

“Guys, there’s a lady present.” Steve admonished the jovial duo who stopped cold. 

“I’ve definitely heard worse,” she assured him. 

“Whoa. Where did all these extra Avengers come from?” the raccoon asked. 

“It’s an illusion, Rabbit. You’re seeing double.” 

“How do you know?” 

“Because I’ve only got one eye. I only see half of them.” While they guffawed at the stupid joke, the two former soldiers each grabbed one of Thor’s arms, while Banner went for Rocket. He got snarled at for his trouble. Distracted, the straps on the back of his gear, lifted by Nat, forcefully ushered him down the hall. He thought twice about resisting when he saw the electrified bracelet on her arm. 

Each of the drunkards were dumped onto their own beds. Once there, neither had any further will to fight off their stupor. Both were snoring within a matter of minutes. 

“Hopefully, that’ll be the last we hear from them until morning,” Steve said. The team then returned to their information gathering. 

Unfortunately, Midgardian liquor did not affect the god’s system in the way it did humans or his mutant friend. He woke before dawn, none the worse for wear and just as depressed as before. At first, he considered heading back to the common room in order to ease his suffering. But memories of an earlier conversation with Rocket began surfacing in his brain. 

He had been reminded of ancient mermaid lore. Depending on which myth one chose to believe, the sirens were either malevolent creatures luring sea farers to their demise or benevolent beings saving victims from drowning. Jarnsaxa herself told him the sisters had never lured a single human to a watery grave as the stories portrayed. She also mentioned that each of them could sense disturbances in the sea from leagues away. This gave him an idea. 

Still dressed only in grey sweats and a white t-shirt, Thor grabbed Stormbreaker but didn’t bother to put his boots on. No more time would be wasted. His bare feet padded through the dimly lit halls of the compound until he found the rear entry. He exited, tripping the exterior motion sensor lighting and headed for the river less than a hundred yards away. 

The grass, already moist with condensation, was cool beneath his feet. Nocturnal creatures called to one another and with each step the sound of the river lapping against the shoreline invited him closer. The current flowed at a slow, but steady rate, a reassurance that the task shouldn’t be too difficult. Drifting might complicate matters. 

The lawn gave way to a few feet of rocky sand. Thor’s gait hardly changed as he traversed it and walked straight into the water.  

The water chilled Thor’s exposed skin. His heart rate increased both in effort to counter the effect and his growing anticipation. He clung tight to the heavy axe used to provide extra weight as he sat at the bottom. Silently thinking _Here goes nothing_ , on the count of three he sharply and deeply inhaled. Within moments, Thor lost consciousness. 

Inside the compound, FRIDAY sounded in Steve’s room. “Captain Rogers, a foreign body seems to be heading towards the compound at an alarming rate.” 

“Is it a weapon? Aircraft?” 

“Negative. It’s unidentifiable and it’s in the river. Thor is there as well.” 

“By the water?” 

“In the water.” 

With much dismay, Steve rolled out of bed and dressed quickly. Baby blue eyes lifted to the ceiling and he muttered, “Can we just catch one fucking break, please?” More loudly, he stated, “FRIDAY, alert the rest of the team.”  

The five of them ran out the back entrance witnessing two bodies in the river approaching shore. Faster than humanly possible, they beached. A beautiful but strange looking woman struggled to drag Thor out of the water. 

“Mermaid! I told him so,” Rocket exclaimed.  

“Could I get some help here?” she shouted.  

Having been mesmerized by the sea-green eyes and the luminescent skin covered in various markings, the men shook off their stupor and waded in to help drag the giant blond onto the tiny beach. “Put him on his side,” she instructed. 

“But he needs CPR,” Steve argued. 

“No. Step aside” The men backed onto the grass and watched as the strange woman laid both hands against Thor’s back. She closed her eyes and mumbled something under her breath. Within seconds, the drowning victim was coughing and sputtering water from his mouth. 

His eyes blinked open and he sat up, weary but mostly recovered from the ordeal. “I knew you’d come,” he choked out with a smile. 

“Did you really? Because to me it looks like you just attempted the dumbest stunt in the entire history of dumb stunts.” 

“Maybe, but it worked.” He continued to cough. 

“Ugh!” she screamed. As she stood and changed into human form she began marching upland towards the compound. She summoned a small wave behind her to splash Thor in the face for good measure. He scrambled to his feet, running after her. The rest of the Avengers watched in awe as the drama unfolded. 

“You found me. We’re together now. Aren’t you happy?” 

Jarnsaxa froze, halting him in his steps as well. Spinning around, she shouted, “Happy? Happy that you could have died?” 

“I wasn’t thinking about that. I was only thinking about you. I had to do something.” 

“Not that! Don’t you dare ever, ever do anything like that ever again!” Wracking sobs began shaking her, and he wrapped her tight in his arms.  

“I’m sorry. It’s okay now. We’re okay.” 

“Swear!” 

“I swear it.” 

A sniffle was heard and Nat whispered to Rocket, “Are you crying?” 

“It’s possible I’m still a little bit drunk.” 

The couple shared a kiss that went on for an unusual length of time. The intensity increased to the point where the others began turning away in their discomfort. Only Natasha clearing her throat encouraged the pair to stop. 

Jarnsaxa placed her hands to either side of his face hardly believing they were finally together again. “I missed you too, Sparky, but that was incredibly reckless.”  

“I tried to find you. I was starting to lose hope.” Without saying a word, neither of them acknowledging anyone else, he picked her up. Arms wrapping around his neck and legs around his waist, he carried her inside. Water dripped from his still soaked clothes all the way back down the hall and into his room. 

There were many things he wanted to tell her, but at that moment the charge felt between them was too powerful to ignore.  With his newfound power, he knew how to control it but he didn’t want to. It had been far too long for them to contain themselves. 

The bed was only steps away. They fell onto it, a flurry of clothing removed hastily tossed aside. Hurried _I Love_ _You’s_ were uttered before giving way to simple sighs and moans. Limbs and lips were everywhere. The joining was frenzied and over nearly as quickly as it began. 

As they began coming down, he kissed her lips still swollen with excitement. "This is not how I imagined our reunion."  

"I needed that just as much as you did." 

He put on some dry clothes and said, “There is much I have to tell you.” 

Grabbing her own, she answered, “There is much I need to tell _you_ , and I think you should hear this first. Loki is alive.” There was only confusion on his face. “He fooled Thanos. Your brother lives, as do Heimdall and many of the other Asgardians. They’re in Norway.”  

He shook his head. “I don’t understand.” 

“When Heimdall opened the Bifrost, Loki sent him to Tonsberg and he came to us. My family. He told us what happened. After the event, he took me to the seer and that’s how I found you.” 

Frozen, trying to process the words, half believing them, he simply stared at her. 

“Thor?” 

He began pacing like lion. Momentarily, he stood in front of her and said, “They’re alive? Living and thriving on this very planet?” 

“Yes,” she smiled. 

“They’re alive!” he shouted, hoisting her up in his arms and spinning around. “They’re alive!” 

“Thor, you’re making me dizzy!” she laughed. He put her down, then went for the door. “Wait! Where are you going?” 

“I’m going to tell my friends the good news. I’m so happy!” 

“Be aware that your brother wishes to remain a secret for now. He fears it would cause further trouble given everything that’s happened.” 

“You are right. We’ll leave his name out of it.” Her hand was snatched up in his and he hurried down the hall all but dragging her behind. 

Not finding anyone in the common area, Thor asked FRIDAY where everyone had gone. As directed, they found the rest of the team in a conference room looking at various monitors once more. 

“Am I interrupting?” he asked the room. 

“Not at all,” Steve answered. “In fact, you might be able to help.” 

“I’ll be happy to do anything I can, but first I have wonderful news. J has informed me that many Asgardians made it to Earth. They’re in Tonsberg.” 

“Tongues-burg?” Rocket asked. 

“Tonsberg. Norway.” After receiving everyone’s congratulations, he added, “We’ll be leaving immediately.” 

The group’s faces fell. Steve said, “I know you’re anxious to get back to your people, but we really need you here, Thor. The major satellites are back online. We’ve got to find Thanos.” 

“We have no idea where he could have gone.” 

Nat explained, “We’ve begun some deep space scans and we thought maybe you could, you know, check out those other realms you’re always talking about.” 

"He’s got to be somewhere. Eventually, a lead will turn up. Can you give us a month, buddy?” Steve pleaded. 

Each one of his friends had a similar longing look on their faces. They desperately needed him, just as much as his own people. Maybe more so for the time being. He turned to Jarnsaxa, “Will you stay?” 

“You know I will.” 

“No more than thirty days. That is all I will promise,” he agreed reluctantly.  


	6. Not Every Cloud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor breaks down.

On the way back to their room, Jarnsaxa felt his mood instantly change. His disappointment in having to delay the return to Tonsberg was plain to see. Likewise, she understood that the Avengers were also a family to him. He couldn’t let them down either.  

An idea came to her, “Hey, why don’t you see if you can connect with Heimdall?” 

"I’ve tired. It still not working. I don’t know what’s wrong.” 

“Bruce thinks your injury isn’t fully healed yet.” 

“What injury? I’m fine.” 

“You know,” she put a finger to her temple, “Power Stone.” 

“He thinks I’ve become addlebrained?” 

“No, Thor. He’s not familiar with your physiology, nor exactly what traumas your body sustained. He is making an educated guess that your mind needs more time to repair itself.” 

Thor only nodded then went back to whatever inner thoughts he was struggling with. To diffuse his despondency, she tried a recounting of Loki’s appearance at the Sea Palace. 

She was happy to see that got a smirk and small chuckle from him. “I bet that was a surprise.”  

“Father was beside himself at first. Even worse than when you visited with the wizard. But once he heard what had happened the entire family welcomed him with open arms.” 

“I hope he didn’t cause too much trouble.” 

“None at all.” 

“Are you sure it was my brother? Dark hair, green eyes, scrawny.” 

“He is not scrawny and you know it,” she giggled. “Believe it or not, he was the perfect guest. In fact, he didn’t behave at all as I expected. He was grateful and considerate and...” 

“And what?” 

“He didn’t express it in so many words, but he was worried about you.” 

“Now I know that wasn’t my brother,” he quipped. 

“He may surprise you, yet.” 

“Well, he certainly stepped up against our sister, and along with Valkyrie, he’s doing more to help the Asgardians than I ever did.” 

“I don’t believe that at all,” she argued. 

She sat on the bed next to Thor who put his head in her lap. He seemed to immediately deflate. As she put a hand on his head to stroke it, he stopped her and harshly said, "Don't." 

"What's wrong?" This was not the God of Thunder. This man was weary down to his soul. 

He didn’t answer, but turned over, back to her. Knowing something was amiss, she got up, found an extra blanket and draped it over him. Hopefully, more rest would help. His eyelids were already closed. Then, gently placing her hand on his shoulder, she told him she would go back to the others while he slept.  

The team was eating together, trying to figure out who else might still be alive that might assist with their search. Sudden, horrendous crashing noises erupted from down the hall. FRIDAY reported the god was in distress and everyone went running. Jarnsaxa opened the door to see him grab a chair and hurl it against the wall effectively smashing it to pieces. 

Everyone else hung back, outside the threshold, but the goddess did not hesitate to step in. She gently called his name and he stilled immediately. He turned to her with woeful eyes, then rushed over and embraced her. As he buried his face in her neck, she became aware of his tears and shut the door. 

"What the hell was that?" Rocket asked. 

Rhodey said, "Can gods have PTSD? Because that’s what it looks like to me." 

* * *

This is all my fault," he sobbed into her hair. 

"Thor, what are you talking about?" 

"I could've stopped all this, but I failed." 

She could sense he was wracked with guilt and immense suffering. "Come with me," she said, taking his hand, she led him to sit again. "How can this possibly be your fault?" It worried her that he let go of her hand and kept himself at arm's length.  

He dropped his head into his hands. “After the attack on our ship, I was consumed by vengance. Nothing else. J, I even forgot about you. I don’t understand how it was possible, but all I wanted was to savor my revenge as I looked Thanos in the eye and drove my axe deeper into his chest. My mistake cost countless lives. Gods, what have I done?" The turmoil inside him was evidently worse than actually expressed. She reached out to put a hand on his arm. After glancing at her, Thor then put both his hands to his face and started sobbing again. 

“My brother and friends did more to keep our people safe. I’m not worthy of you nor anyone else.” 

She moved closer and pulled him over so that his head rest against her bosom. Jarnsaxa cradled and kissed his head like a small child's and tried to comfort him. "Shh...hush. Thor, you are more than worthy. The ordeals you have suffered would cripple the strongest of men, but you persevered. Don’t shoulder the blame for all of this. None of this is your doing." 

As he calmed and catching his breath, he said, "I never should have left you." 

"If you hadn't, Hela would have enslaved all the Asgardians and then who knows what would have been next. As for Thanos, what about the other Avengers?" 

"Apparently, Stark is lost in outer space. Banner couldn't get Hulk to come out and the others just weren't strong enough. There were more, compatriots I suppose and an army of Wakandans. But the Titan’s Dark Order had many aliens attacking. It was just too much." 

"What makes you think that you, by yourself, should have done any better than all of them put together? Because you are the God of Thunder, Protector of the Nine Realms? It sounds to me like you did all you could." 

“He said it himself, J. I should have gone for the head and ended it.” 

“Thor, the only one who blames you is you. You’re being far to harsh with yourself.” 

Finally, sitting up, Thor looked at her and said, "What did I do to deserve you?" He put his hands on either side of her face and pulled her in for a kiss. Instantly, they felt the electricity between them like a jolt and the kiss quickly intensified. 

Standing, he leaned over her, "We're going to do this properly." Thor then undressed fully and as she began working at her top, he said, "Let me do it." After nearly two years apart he wanted to once again gaze upon his love's naked body. This time she would be cherished as he had dreamed the whole time they were apart. 

"Are you just going to stare at me all night?" 

"I might just do that," he answered. Lying next to her, propping his head up on hand, he said, "You look exactly the same. Every inch of you is just as I remembered." 

"I can't say the same," she replied, running her fingers through his cropped hair. 

"Do you miss it?" 

"Yes, but I like this, too." Then using her thumb to barely brush the new imperfections on his face, she said, "You've also got a lot of new scars, and the eye. You're the only man I've ever met who can come out of everything you went through looking more desirable than ever." 

Thor took her hand from his face and turned it to softly kiss the palm. Her breath hitched and he moved down to her wrist making her gasp. He smiled at her reaction, but when he turned to look at her was surprised to meet watery eyes. "What's wrong?" 

"Your beard," she said as her cheeks dampened. "I forgot how wonderful it feels against my skin. Thor, I missed you so terribly I almost went mad." 

"Me too. I’m so sorry."  

“Don’t apologize. No regrets. You did what needed to be done.” 

He gently kissed the salty cheeks. His lips traveled her neck, collarbone, breastbone and down to her navel. Goosebumps were raised all over and every nerve in her body became alert, yearning to be touched. A break from the kisses as his hand reacquainted itself with the form it had grown to know so intimately. Using only his fingertips to trace along her leg, Jarnsaxa felt her skin leap.  

She began breathing heavier, open-mouthed and was rewarded with a long, passionate kiss, allowed to taste his tongue and nip at the lower lip. When his fingers moved to the inner thigh, her back arched in anticipation. Her breath quickened. 

"Patience," he whispered in her ear. 

"I've been patient for over a year." She took his hand and moved it between her legs to impart her readiness. 

"Still so lustful. I'm not there yet, love." He traced random zigzag patterns along her belly and stopped just short of the triangle of hair she was aching for him to reach. "I miss hearing you cry out for me." 

His hand found its way up to her breasts, continued to take his time. She stroked his powerful arms. She dug her nails into his back and moaned loudly. He was on top of her and she could feel his manhood heavy, hot and pulsing against her thigh. She began to writhe trying to coax him inside. "Thor, you’re driving me crazy," she whined. 

His answer was slowly pushing into her. As expected, the tension built up in her belly began letting go in waves. Leisurely dragging himself out, she cried out his name in desperation. He began thrusting his hips. "Thor! Yes!" Finally, she let out a loud, unintelligible scream as her orgasm crashed down on her and took him along. When his entire body clenched, a lengthy growl left his throat and he grabbed her hips to push himself in to the hilt, shaking over and over to empty himself. 

The rest of the team was back in the kitchen cleaning up when suddenly there was an explosive burst of thunder outside making all of them jump. Natasha called out, “FRIDAY, initiate privacy mode in Thor’s room.” She noticed everyone glaring at her with questioning eyes. “My room’s right next to theirs. I would like to get some sleep tonight.” 

Steve asked, “You don’t think...?  That couldn’t be...?” 

Rocket looked out the window and said, “Well, it ain’t raining, pal.” 


	7. A Frail Sailcloth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony returns with a couple new friends who help the Avengers go after Thanos.

Before her eyes were even opened, Jarnsaxa could feel him staring at her. She blinked at the glittering light streaming through the wide window, casting his face in a golden halo. A smile brighter than the sunshine, and warming her heart much more deeply, hovered above.  She returned the expression and teased, “What are you doing, weirdo?” 

Thor brushed away the few hairs in her face with light fingers. “Making sure you don’t go anywhere. I’m afraid I’ll wake up and find it was a dream.” 

“Do you need proof that you’re not dreaming?” 

“And how do you propose to do that?” he asked seductively. 

With a tone responding in kind, she answered, “Like this.” Then she promptly began tickling him. 

Enclosing her in his broad arms, he rolled onto his back so that she lay on top, looking down at him. He continued to hold tight, nuzzling her neck behind the ear, making her squirm and squeal. “It has been such a long time since I’ve laughed. Really laughed. Gods, I wish words could express how much I missed you.” 

“If it’s half as much as I missed you, I think I have some idea.” And, like that, without warning or provocation, his mirth vanished as if it had never been there at all. “What’s wrong, sweetie?” 

“I just remembered what I have to do today.” Mentally trying to shake off the nagging reminder, he said, “Never mind that right now. We still have lost time to make up for.”  

Thor clutched the Maiden’s backside, eliciting a gasp. When he saw the spark in her eyes, encouraging him, he kissed her deeply. Jarnsaxa’s ready responsiveness further fanned the flames of his own desire. There was a literal fire within that threatened to quickly burn out of control. In one swift motion, he moved her to lay face down on the bed while he positioned himself above. Moving curls away from her ear, he leaned over and whispered, “I need you more than you’ll ever know, J”.  

Before she could reply, his hand clutched at her hair, turning her head for another passionate kiss as he drove deep within. His desperation reminded her of their first time together in London when they nearly tore each other apart. Back then, he had been denying his feelings for months. This time his motivation was unclear. The thought was concerning. 

She made him stop long enough to allow her to flip over. The look on his face was hard to interpret. A mix, perhaps of longing, uncertainty and frustration. Probably other emotions were involved as well. Was he trying to hide them? She had never known him to be so conflicted. “What do you want, baby?” 

“I want to know I give you pleasure,” he answered while rutting into her. 

“Always.” 

“I want to hear my name on your lips.” 

“Thor. I am yours, Thor. Forever.” 

The rhythm of his hips became erratic and he stuttered, “I want...I want...” A moan escaped him. 

“Thor, what is happening? Your eyes are glowing.” 

The response came as a contorting of his face and his hands at either side of her firmly clasping at the bed sheets. He nearly roared as the climax overtook them both. At the end of it, he fell to the side so as not to crush her in his fatigue. There were singe marks on the bed where his hands had been. 

Jarnsaxa turned, placing a palm against the enormous rapidly expanding and contracting chest. “Are you alright?” 

With a nod, he rasped, “I nearly lost control. If ever I caused you harm, even accidentally, I’d never forgive myself.” 

“I’m fine, Thor,” she said. “Better than fine. Look at me. See?”  

Gently, he kissed her hand, then once more, his mood flipped like a coin. He left the bed in search of clothes. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going.” 

“But you made a promise. At the very least, the other realms need to know you’re alive, that you’re now Asgard’s ruler.” 

“There is no Asgard anymore, J! I rule nothing!” he thundered at her. Never having seen him in such ill temper, she recoiled. The jumbled feelings inside him were tempestuous. She braced herself. 

Recognizing the wariness, he rushed back offering an embrace in atonement. “Forgive me, my love. You didn’t deserve that.”  

“You’re not yourself, lately. It’s understandable.” 

“They don’t need me.” 

“Whether that is true or not, they want you there. Heimdall said as much. You told me yourself that Asgard is it’s people.” 

With a sigh and eyes growing misty, he told her, “You were to be my queen and I would have laid my kingdom at your feet. Now, I have nothing to offer.” 

“If you think I care a thing about status, you don’t know me very well. As long as you love me, that is all I want; all I need.” 

Pressing his forehead against hers and intertwining the fingers of his right hand to her left, he said, “What would become of me without you, J?” 

“It’s a good thing you don’t have to find out,” she said with a smile. 

“You don’t have any reservations about my leaving?” 

“Of course, I do. But it needs to be done and I have faith in you. It’s only two Earth days. I’ll be fine.” 

There was not much progress during Thor's absence. Jarnsaxa took that time to check on her father and remaining sisters. Back at the Facility, everyone else worked to repair equipment or monitor data feeds. Communications systems slowly came back online, but were often spotty. The Avengers’ resources were limited by those of the outside world, making their tasks that much more difficult. While the compound was self-sufficient thanks to an Arc Reactor, the rest of the world did not have that luxury. A lot of things had to be cleared, repaired, destroyed and disposed of due to the catastrophes that had resulted. Due to lack of manpower, there were scheduled brown-outs everywhere. These times were the hardest for the skeleton-crew unable to use work as a distraction from grief. Cap typically wandered off to the gym or went for a ride on his bike, Banner would hole up in the library with a book, and the rest would hit the shooting range. The releases weren’t in any way new or innovated, but they helped. 

When the task was complete, Thor looked more haggard than before. Every place visited had shared the same story. The Snap eliminated many of the resources relied on for sustenance. In addition to mourning and trying to compensate for sudden, extreme population shifts, those left behind had to make major adjustments to their lives. Planet after planet, council after council, he had to explain what Thanos had done and how. Time and again he’d had to relive the failures he felt were his own. 

Thor found the Avengers all in pretty much the state he found himself. The following weeks were spent in the doldrums. Everyone was depressed, not only because of the loved ones lost, but also the aftermath was taking an additional toll. This was why, at first, no one thought much of Thor moping around. Considering everything he had gone through, Jarnsaxa assumed his spending time in bed or eating was due to exhaustion. Then when he began having trouble sleeping, he would often resort to alcohol to help him rest. The one thing that hadn't seemed to change was his lust for her. Still, she was starting to feel it was more about the physical release. The connection she had always felt remained intact, but it was starting to feel like a signal with interference on the line. 

Respite came in an entirely unexpected manner. During their third week at the Facility, FRIDAY announced an alien spacecraft had entered the atmosphere and was descending in the clearing. They all ran outside to witness the celestial being carefully placing the ship on the lawn. 

* * *

When Jarnsaxa refused to keep her voice down, Thor initiated the room’s privacy mode just like Nat taught him.  The Wave Maiden was nearing hysterics. 

“I don’t care if they all hear me. It’s a horrible idea.” She threw open the door and shouted to no one in the hall, “You hear that? Going after Thanos is an awful, stupid idea! You have become Earth’s mightiest idiots!” 

He pulled her in back inside. “Stop it, J. We have no other choice. We have to try to bring everybody back. And with the Danvers woman, there’s no reason to think we won’t be successful.” 

She then declared she would be going too. He was adamant that she stay behind to keep from distracting him and the others, but also to keep Pepper company while nursing Tony.  

“You’ll take your furry, little drinking buddy, but not me?” she railed. 

“First of all, we don’t have much choice since it’s his spacecraft. Second, he has a wealth of tactical knowledge. Last, and most importantly, I do not share the same concerns over him that I do of you.” 

“That’s just great. I get left behind yet again while you’re traipsing across the Universe.” 

“If I remember correctly, a certain Wave Maiden told me she was scared to leave the planet?” 

“I’m not scared. I just didn’t think it wise.” 

“But you do now?” 

“No, but...” she huffed in frustration. “That’s not the point.” 

“That is the point, love. The Avengers need to do this. That, unfortunately, does not include you.” 

When the team made their return, Jarnsaxa and Pepper were disappointed to see the crestfallen faces departing the spaceship. Without so much as a glance at anyone, Thor stomped past them, straight into the building. Natasha walked with the goddess recalling everything that had occurred. 

By the time Jarnsaxa found him, he had changed into his Midgardian clothing and was at the bar with Rocket.  

“Please talk to me, sweetheart,” she begged. 

He handed her a drink which she declined with a shake of the head. Taking it back, he shot it down his throat then promptly poured another. Looking her straight in the eyes, he then admitted, "He bested us. Again. There’s no hope of redemption. So, I made sure I got my revenge.” Unable to face whatever emotion the confession would evoke from her, whether compassion or disappointment, he turned away from her and drank some more. 

"Do what you will tonight, Thor,” she acceded. “Tomorrow you go home.” 


	8. Fate and Fortune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor returns to his people.

The smile had returned to Thor’s face well before wrapping an arm around Jarnsaxa and calling the Bifrost. He had woken early in the Avengers Facility, hopping about like an excited toddler. In all of the years of wandering the cosmos, he could not recall so looking forward to being reunited with the Asgardians. As a bonus, he would finally fulfill his destiny as an Odinson. Still, she had refused to go without being given a reasonable amount of time to ready herself and saying proper goodbyes to their friends. 

Around noontime, they touched down on the quay. Slightly more than a dozen small fishing boats dotted the inlet. The mist and scent pricking at Thor’s senses reminded him of that fateful day when he and Loki had last seen their father. “Remember this place,” he had told them. “Home.” Immediately, the new king could see why Odin had been fond of the place. Between the light blue sky and the deep blue sea, there was some of the lushest green land Thor had ever set eyes on. Surrounding the bay were sandy beaches and high cliffs begging to be explored. 

A few curious onlookers stood with Loki by the harbor seawall. Thor caught up his brother in a long embrace. This made the Jotun uncomfortable, however he did not push away and even gave the giant some pats on the back. “Still overly dramatic, I see.” 

“I thought you were dead for good this time.” 

Released at last, The Trickster added, “I’m insulted you should think nothing more than a deranged warlord could be my undoing.” 

“He did have the Stones, after all.” 

“I’ll give you that.” 

“What in the world are you wearing, by the way?” Thor had done a double-take noticing the formerly fashion forward prince wearing a dark green sweater, faded black jeans and leather work boots. His hair had also been pulled back away from his face. 

“My normal garb, one, isn’t practical in this climate or, two, for work.” 

“What sort of work?” 

“There are repairs being made to the town hall. You’re not the only one who can wield a hammer, you know.” Indicating the banter was done, he greeted his cousin with a chaste kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Even I have to admit the Asgardians are a very welcoming bunch.” 

Thor looked at Jarnsaxa. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so caught up in my own happiness I didn’t stop to think what you might be feeling. Are you nervous?” 

“A little.” 

“But you were here before.” 

“A brief stop. Heimdall was the only one I met. What if they don’t like me?” 

“We shall make a royal decree.” 

There was a small smile at his joke, then she asked, “I’m not going to be harassed by a bunch of ex-girlfriends, am I?” 

“Ha!” Loki exclaimed. “He was rarely on the planet long enough to have any meaningful relationships.” 

Grimacing, Thor admitted his brother was right. “J, I promise to give you fair warning if we run into anyone who might be problematic. Please don't fret about things that are unlikely to happen.” 

Before the trio moved on, Thor took a moment to also say hello to those who had come to witness his return and made sure to introduce her. Unfortunately, he announced she was his betrothed. This put her back up as they hadn’t discussed an engagement. Of course, she did not want to embarrass him in public, especially when they’d only just arrived, so she waited until the crowd had dispersed. “Please don’t do that again,” she said in an irritated whisper. 

“What?” 

“We haven’t talked about this. Why introduce me as your fiancé?” 

“Well, it’s only a formality, isn’t it? I hardly think ‘girlfriend’ or ‘lover’ carries the proper connotation.” 

“I have strong feelings on the subject, and regardless, a girl likes to be asked first.” 

“Shall I do it here? Now?” he asked with all sincerity.  

“No! We’ll talk more about this later. We’re holding up your brother.” 

“Oh, don’t mind me,” Loki rolled his eyes in dismissive amusement. Thor’s impetuous nature never ceased to cause trouble. “I am more than happy to wait for this to be resolved.” 

“As much as we’d love to stand here entertaining you, please do lead on.” 

Strolling towards the city center, Thor admitted to having expected a bigger reception. It was explained that most of the ancestral ceremonies had been dropped centuries ago. There had been no more need of them. New values had been adopted due to the requirements of harsher living conditions. Although Thor claimed he understood, Jarnsaxa could sense a bit of disappointment. She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. 

The further they walked, as the new king took in the surroundings, he realized ruling in the village would not be quite as straightforward as assumed. On Asgard, he would basically have taken over a long-established reign. The people would have easily accepted the natural heir and Protector of The Nine Realms. Now, he was unsure. Many of them had witnessed his weaknesses before both Hela and Thanos. They would be right to question his strength as a ruler. There were no impending battles to be fought where he could prove himself worthy. 

Along the main street, Loki would stop into a shop here or there. The importance of getting to know the proprietors who were council members was repeatedly reiterated. Out of earshot, the king asked, “What is this council of which you speak?” 

“When the humans evacuated, some form of government had to be maintained. Heimdall and Valkyrie put together a panel comprised of business owners and residents to divide responsibilities. We’ve arranged an official meeting in a few days. They will review everything with you then.” 

The group came upon a tavern where Thor demanded they stop for a drink. The owner brought them a free round and introduced himself. The gregarious blond shook his hand vigorously, adamant they were sure to become close friends.  

The ale in their glasses was almost empty when Heimdall entered. A balm to Thor’s soul. He nearly knocked the table over in haste to embrace the seer. 

“My friend, you don’t know how happy I was to hear you survived.” 

“I could see you but for some reason you couldn’t hear me.” 

“Banner, my friend who is a doctor...” 

“Yes, I know of him.” 

“Of course, you do. Anyway, he believes the injury hasn’t fully healed.” 

Loki leaned over to Jarnsaxa. “He looks fine.” 

She whispered back, “Internally. The Power Stone.” 

He considered for a moment. “Oh, when Tha-” 

“Tut...tut...tut,” she admonished. “It’s best to avoid that name for the time being.” 

This trepidation was concerning to the prince. Thor had never been afraid of anything before in his entire life. Odinsons were fierce warriors, first and foremost. An uneasy mind, though, would explain the underlying insecurity he had sensed. 

Heimdall shared one drink with the group, toasting the reunited king, but then excused himself as he was overseeing the construction of some new homes. Construction had been nonstop since he landed in Tonsberg. Many of the families had taken in refugees who were in need of permanent housing. He also mentioned the desire to sit down with Thor in the near future, to discuss building him a properly outfitted home. 

“I haven’t given that a thought, yet.” Turning to Loki, he asked, “Will we be staying with you in the meantime?” 

“Heavens, no! First of all, Heimdall took me in. Secondly, we were able to find you accommodation, albeit modest.” 

The couple was shown the small two-room cottage provided them. The housing council furnished and stocked it with some supplies as well. Loki apologized for the humble fittings but the couple was immensely grateful. 

Before leaving them, the dark-haired Asgardian remembered to notify them of the feast being held in the village hall that evening in honor of the king’s return. Objecting, Thor did his best to assert the party was unnecessary. Loki clarified it would be nothing like the formal royal affairs they had been brought up with and the idea had already boosted the mood of the entire community. He then politely made his exit for the couple to get settled. 

After Loki shut the door behind him, The Wave Maiden darted around the small dwelling, exclaiming how adorable and cozy the home was. The god was amused by her squeals and gasps as she took inventory of each domestic item. She came running out of the one bedroom as he had just sat in the small sitting area and put his feet up.  

“Thor, look at this bed. It’s massive!” His hand was trapped by hers and his arm yanked repeatedly as she urged him to follow. 

“I was a tad worried you would have reservations, but you seem very happy.” 

“I am absolutely thrilled. We have our very own home. We are starting our new life, together.” 

“It’s not at all what I imagined.” 

“Did those customs matter a lot to you?” 

“No. I guess my expectations where just different, that’s all.” 

“So, we adapt. We have everything we need right here. I love this house, I love this village and I love you.” 

“You never cease to amaze me, J.” His thoughts shifted and his heartbeat quickened in response. “I think the first thing we should do is christen our home.” 

“Is that some kind of Asgardian tradition?” 

With a kiss below the ear, he then whispered, “If it’s not, I shall make it so.” A hint of her eyes widening indicated she caught his meaning. 

“Shouldn’t you lock the door?” 

“No one’s going to enter the king’s home without knocking first.”  

Grabbing hold of his jacket, Jarnsaxa pulled him onto the bed and offered him a heady kiss. There was a brief pause when he said, “Wow this bed is exceptionally comfortable.” With a giggle and another kiss, she regained his attention.  

His needs grew urgent, and he found himself yet again thankful to have someone so receptive to his desires. There had never been anyone in his past that ignited his passions like the Wave Maiden did. She consistently affirmed it was the same for her. Not only did this perpetually boost his ego, but it also reinforced their belief that they were unquestionably meant for one another. 

These notions had barely taken shape when he felt the delicious palpitations from inside her coaxing him to follow right behind. “You know,” he panted, “before I met you, I had the stamina of bull.” 

“Is this a complaint?” she quipped. 

“Merely an observation. I don’t know what it is, but my hunger for you only grows stronger. I can’t seem to get enough of you.” 

“Can I take that to mean the christening isn’t quite over yet?” she asked hopefully. 

“Far from it, love. There are many other areas of the abode we have yet to bless.” 


	9. The Hour of Feasting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor's "homecoming" in New Asgard doesn't go as expected.

The night meant for celebration did not start well nor did it end any better. It began with him trying on ten different outfits, none of which felt right. Thor thought the ensemble complete with a heavily embroidered, blue long-coat was quite dashing, but Jarnsaxa only huffed in irritation. At that point, he thought Father had had it easy. He always wore the gilded ceremonial armor at royal events. 

Not until his brother showed up, sent to see what was holding up the man of honor, was any progress made. Still, much cajoling was required on the part of the two Jotuns to convince the king that slacks and a simple knit sweater topped with a modest jacket would be more than sufficient. 

They finally made their way to the meeting hall twenty minutes after the intended start. Heimdall, at the entry, announced with a thunderous shout, “Our king has arrived.” An excited cheer erupted. 

Mostly made of wood, the converted Viking longhouse had enough upgrades to meet modern needs while retaining the traditional rustic ambience. A commercial-sized kitchen, plumbing and electricity had been added decades ago, but the Asgardians still used the massive stone fire pit stretching through the center which provided heat on cool nights as well as additional light.  

“Is this it?” Thor asked. 

“Sorry. There’s no gilding or grandeur here,” Loki explained. 

“Streamers and balloons would have been nice.” 

“Because you are an infant?” 

The crowd parted as the couple was escorted to the head table at the end of the hall. Thor was thrilled to see Valkyrie there waiting along with Korg and Miek. No sooner had they reunited when the party goers began calling for a speech. 

First, the king asked for a moment of silence for the lost loved ones as well as remembrance for their destroyed birthplace. A few words were then said congratulating them on their strength and perseverance in the face of these challenges. He also spoke about the need to support each other more than ever and moving forward to eventually make the New Asgard as great as the old. 

There was more clapping and cheering at this. Thor was full of pride and confidence. When he finally indicated it was time to sit and enjoy, a voice rose above the crowd. “Aren’t you going to introduce the new queen?” There was a moment of silent confusion. The person added, “Frode said, when you arrived in town today you introduced your fiancé.” 

“Oh...well...the details are still being worked out. Um...nothing’s been made official.” He turned to Jarnsaxa who looked mortified. “J, would you please stand so everyone can meet you?” His hand extended out in invitation. 

Valkyrie, noticing her discomfort whispered, “That was very vague. Are you two betrothed or not?” 

Through the gritted teeth of a fake smile, she answered, “No, we are not.” Then she stood and gave Thor a warning glare before standing at his side. 

“I present Jarnsaxa, who prefers to be called simply, J.” There was applause again until he added, “She’s a Wave Maiden.” Suddenly, the entire hall grew quiet. Murmuring started to slowly build then spread throughout. “And with that, I say enough talk. Time for food and drinks!” Thor declared.  

The flustered outsider hastily returned to her seat and said, under her breath, “What the hell were you thinking?” 

Loki, who sat on his other side asked, “Are you trying to make her uncomfortable, or is this a natural talent of yours?” 

Ignoring him, Thor said, “J, I’m sorry. I got nervous and it just came out.” 

“We will discuss this later.” She was cold to him the rest of the evening, preferring to spend her time with Valkyrie and Loki meeting new people. It was nice to see her enjoying herself among them, but it rankled that she continued to ignore him. Especially in front of everyone. Surely it was observed by all. Well, two could play at that game. Thor decided he would be better off drinking and reminiscing with Heimdall and other former members of the Asgardian army. 

The music struck up again. Thor noticed she and his brother made their way to the dance floor. He thought nothing of it until, two songs later, strangers began asking her. Beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, he eventually bullied his way over and snatched her up in his arms. Her dance partner at the time slunk away. 

“That was very rude!” she scolded. 

“I am the king and I want to dance with my lady.” 

“Right now, I am not your anything. You’re behaving like a brute.” 

He squeezed her tight, took a handful of her hair and forced a harsh kiss against her lips. Being pinned so tight, it was difficult for her to exert any force against him. Still, she planted her hands firmly against his chest and pushed. He got the hint and let her go. 

“I have had enough of you embarrassing me today,” she growled then stomped off. When he understood she was leaving, Thor intended to follow, but a group of the men wrangled him. “Oh, she’s a feisty one!” one of them said as the rest laughed. 

“That she is,” he replied, worried in the knowledge that he’d made a grave error. 

Another of the group led him by the elbow, “Come, the night is still young”. A stein of mead was placed in his hand. “Give her time to cool off.” 

“Maybe you’re right.” 

Loki had witnessed the small drama and followed his cousin. While he was concerned over the behavior very uncharacteristic of his brother, he thought Jarnsaxa should be seen home safely. Between that and waiting for her to calm before taking his leave, it was quite some time before he made his way back to the party. By then, he was nearly as irritated as she was. 

Thor caught his sour expression and quipped, “Now there’s the Loki I’ve known and come to love.” 

“She’s my family and beyond that, my friend, you sod, and I don’t appreciate her being treated in such manner. What’s gotten into you, anyway? And don’t blame the drink, I’ve seen you fare worse.” 

“I’ll apologize and make it up to her. But this is between the two of us and I’ll thank you to butt out.” 

It was well past midnight when Thor stumbled home. Jarsaxa was startled awake when he burst through the door, hollering, “Where are you, J? I’m back and I am sorry.” 

Hugging a robe around her waist and she opened the bedroom door. “I _was_ asleep. Can this not wait until morning?” 

“I’m sorry for that, too, but I can’t go to bed knowing you’re cross with me.” 

“Fine. I forgive you. I’m going back to bed.”  

He pulled her back when she turned to go and spun her around. “Why don’t you want to get married?” 

“What?” 

“Everytime we bring up the idea of marriage, you get upset. Do you not want to be married?” 

“It’s late and you’re drunk. Can we talk about this tomorrow?” 

He folded his arms and pouted. “J, we were bound. I really don’t see what the big deal is.” 

“That’s it, Thor. You don’t see. You don’t see what it would mean to make me queen. It seems like to you it’s just a title. But for me and everyone else it carries weight. I just got here. I don’t know these people and they don’t know me. They’ve already been through so much and working hard to adjust. I don’t think now is the time to throw me in their faces. I have no intention of being a mere showpiece. If I’m going to hold that title, I want to do justice to it like my mother and yours as well.” 

“This isn’t much of a kingdom.” 

“That’s another thing. You seem unsure of your own role, quite frankly. I think that needs to be resolved first. Wouldn’t you agree?” 

Shoulders slumping as the determination left him. He sheepishly asked, “Is it that obvious?” 

“Painfully.” 

“On Asgard, I knew what the duties were. Here, it’s all different. I don’t know what’s expected of me.” 

"Well, puffing out your chest and putting on displays of bravado is certainly not helpful.” 

Ready to make amends, he said, “Again, I’m sorry. How can I make it up to you?” 

“Well, you know, I’m not so easily swayed. It might take some doing.” 

“Flowers and candy?” he teased. 

“Those are nice, but I’m sure we can come up with something a little more meaningful. More intimate.” 

He tenderly pressed his lips to her collarbone. “You mean like this?” 

“It’s a start.” 

Brushing his beard against her neck a low hum rumbled through his chest. His lips met hers, softly this time in atonement for the earlier one. Their arms encircled one another. Hands began to wander, and he slipped the one held at her lower back, down beneath her waistband to cup her bottom. He pulled their hips tight as she began offering herself to him. 

The fact that he had yet begun to be properly aroused, crossed his mind but was dismissed as he continued his efforts. Her hand found its way to the front of his pants where she began to expertly manipulate him. The sensation was exciting as usual, but the stimulation was not producing the desired effect. He pulled away, baffled. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

“I can’t seem to...This has never happened before. I don’t know what’s wrong.” 

“You probably just drank too much.” 

“I’ve never been too drunk to do _that_.” 

“Maybe you’re just trying too hard. Lay back, relax and let me take care of you.” 

“I’m supposed to be making up to you, remember?” 

“Alright. Then I’ll lay back and relax.” 

He thought pleasuring her would surely remedy the problem. The taste of her on his tongue improved his situation immediately. In her final throes the pressure became so great he began stroking himself for some relief. As soon as he moved to position himself between her legs, he went flaccid again. 

He roared, “Now, I can’t even do that right anymore!” and jumped off the bed, throwing on his clothes. He grabbed a pillow and slammed the bedroom door on his way to the couch. 


	10. Ill Seed Sown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The king is not happy and he takes it out on J.

Disoriented, she wasn’t sure what had startled her awake so abruptly. It had been intense enough to momentarily frighten the goddess over a millennia in age. A bright flash of lightning immediately followed by the resulting boom of thunder explained the cause. Rain began falling hard and fast in the wind. The windows rattled at the onslaught. There would be no peace while the deluge persisted. 

With her robe tied neatly in place, she opened the bedroom door to see Thor sitting on the sofa, still fully clothed, head in his hands. He was breathing heavily, and could be seen shivering in the dim light. 

“Is this you?” she asked. 

There was no answer. Only deep, heavy breaths. She went to sit beside him and rubbed his broad back. Every muscle was taught with tension. “What happened?” 

“I had a nightmare.” As his breathing slowed, so did the downpour, settling into a steady rain. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“No, I’m okay now.” He took a deep breath, put his chin up and said, “See? I’m fine. It was only a dream. Nothing to worry about.” 

The pools threatening to spill over his lower eyelids did not go unnoticed. Another long intake of air indicated he was not going to let emotions get the better of him. “Thor, I’m sure you just woke the entire village. That was not any old bad dream.” 

“It’s not a big deal, J.” His tone signified he wasn’t going to talk about it. 

“Fine. But please come to bed with me. I miss you.” Thor took her hand, allowing himself to be led into the other room. She helped him undress before they slipped under the covers, automatically fitting into their preferred spooning position. The hand that held hers gripped tight as if holding onto a lifeline. The dream certainly had shaken him to the core.  

Gently releasing her hand, she shifted and turned to stroke his cheek. “Thor, it’s okay. You’re home now. I’m here.” 

“I know, love.” He kissed the top of her head. “Don’t fret over me.” As his agitation slowly left, so did the storm, easing into a steady drizzle. Nonetheless, he found sleep hard to come by that night. 

It was unusual for Jarnsaxa to rise first as she did the following morning. Struggling through a restless night had drained him. Flipping over, he buried himself beneath the covers. Jarnsaxa bothered him again not long after, curious that he hadn’t risen yet. He grumbled about needing more rest, so she decided to go for a swim and do some shopping.  

Sleep was elusive as Thor tossed and turned. The horrific images from the nightmare resurfaced, making it impossible to find respite. Begrudgingly, groaning, he sat up in a huff and threw off the covers. All during his showering, dressing and considering how to busy himself, the disturbing mental pictures continued to plague him. 

The heir to the throne was in chains before a tribunal made up of the great Allfathers; Odin among them. They found him guilty of failing his people, allowing the destruction of their home planet, as well as the entire universe by failing to stop Thanos. Furthermore, he had struck down an enemy who was no longer a threat. A barbaric, self-indulgent act. The court determined he was not ready to rule and therefore, stripping him of powers. Loki would assume the role of king. Thor was shown images of his brother taking the gilded seat with a sly, satisfied grin. 

As Thor was led by guards, to he knew not where, he passed a crowd where Jarnsaxa stood with Heimdall, Valkyrie, Frigga, Sif, and The Warriors Three. All of them wore the same mask of disappointment. 

Unfortunately, the dream hadn't ended there. While he was alone in his dungeon cell, inexplicably the Mad Titan returned. Thanos, who appeared twice as large as Thor remembered, had decided that half the universe wasn’t enough. No longer having the Infinity Stones, he resorted to laying waste to the other half, making Thor watch as his loved ones were all slain before him one-by-one. 

A shudder ran up his spine as he remembered all of this in detail once more. When he felt his stomach twisting in knots it became imperative to take his mind off the dream. A distraction was needed. Thor grabbed his jacket and went in search of his friends. 

Not long after, Jarnsaxa returned to the empty cottage. There was no note, but she was glad to know he was up and about at least. She put away the groceries and the few newly purchased household items. Looking forward to his return to see his expression at the few boxes of Pop-Tarts she’d been able to find, she went about organizing the small house. 

Everything was neat and tidy by the time Thor walked in later in the afternoon with a sour look on his face. Her cheerful mood deflated. “What’s wrong?” she asked. 

“Everyone is busy. Everybody here has a use except me.” 

“Didn’t Loki say there was a council meeting tomorrow? Chances are you’ll be complaining there’s too much to do.” 

“I suppose you’re right,” he grumbled. 

“It’s a lovely day. Would you like to go for a walk along the shore?” 

“I already did that,” he pouted, crossing his arms. 

“Maybe we could borrow a vehicle and explore outside of town?” 

A displeased grunt was his only response. 

“How about we do like the Midgardians and binge watch Netflix all day?” She tried to cuddle up next to him, but he leapt off the couch. 

“Seriously, J. Is that all you ever think about?” 

She found the melodramatic reaction unwarranted and had grown weary of stifling her irritation at his inconstant temperament. “Lightening your mood? Now that you mention it, yes. That is all I seem to think about lately. What, exactly, is the problem here?” 

“Last night, after we went to bed, I was awake for a long while. Started thinking maybe you were right. My problem likely _was_ due to something you did, or didn’t do, more accurately.” 

“Wait. Are you blaming me for your little virility issue last night?” 

“Well, it’s never happened before and I have to admit feeling like you’ve not been completely supportive since we arrived.” 

“Oh! Did the big bad warrior get his itty-bitty ego bruised?” 

“See! Belittling me does not help and then there’s the constant expectation to perform...” 

“What the hell are you talking about? You wanted to make up to _me_ for manhandling _me_ in front of the entire town after already embarrassing me beforehand. Or were you drunker than I thought and don’t remember?” 

“J, a man needs to feel like a man. I have to prove to these people that I am still mighty despite everything that’s happened.” 

“So, I should just let you push me around? Well, shit. I’ll do you one better. Let’s gather everyone into the town hall and his highness can bend me over his royal knee and publicly teach me a proper lesson. Would that balm your overblown ego, milord?” 

“You know that’s not what I mean. Our time apart obviously made me forget about your temper,” he hollered. 

“ _My_ temper! Are you kidding me?” He walked towards the front of the house and grabbed his jacket. “Where are you going?” 

“To be with people who actually enjoy my company,” he growled, slamming the door. 

Minutes seemed to pass as she stood dumbfounded at the exchange. Logically knowing Thor was lashing out for some reason, she was still hurt. Being slightly empathic didn’t help any, either. She could sense the inner conflict, but the origin was a mystery. Whatever the exact cause was, he probably had it buried so deep he didn’t understand it himself. 

Even more distressing was that he wouldn’t confide in her. Taking inventory of her actions over the past few weeks, Jarnsaxa reexamined the events to see where she may have gone wrong. Admittedly, her irascibility could get the better of her, but she had tried to be very accommodating as of late. Clearly, he was trying to tell her he needed something else. But what? 

The sun had gone down fully by the time she had calmed herself. At that point, she began to worry instead. In the past, whenever Thor had reacted rashly he quickly came around. For him to avoid her for so long was disconcerting. Sitting around idle did nothing but increase her anxiety. Jarnsaxa walked out into the night, towards the town center. 

Not far onto the main street, a considerable discord was heard coming from the pub. A sneaking suspicion entered her mind. That a certain bearded blond was definitely in the thick of it. 


	11. Ale and A Man's Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> J metes out retribution after both Thor and Loki upset her.

The energy amplified the closer she got to the alehouse. Most certainly, Thor was, one way or another, involved.  

The night was rather cool, but the inside of the pub was exceptionally warm. This was due mostly to the number of people crammed into the space. Gradually, Jarnsaxa slipped past patrons, delving into the crowd gathered around the bar, confirming the center of attention was the jovial giant. There was no satisfaction in the validation. 

Along with a handful of other men, and Valkyrie, Thor stood chugging an exceptionally large mug of beer as fast as possible. The bicep of his massive right arm bulged as the bottom of the mug rose higher. Of course, he was first to slam the emptied vessel on the counter. Adulations were shouted out along with spirted enticements as others then vied to be the next to try to best him. The barkeep refilled his empty to the brim. 

Revelry definitely was not foreign or unwelcomed by Jarnsaxa. She enjoyed a good party as much as anyone else, if not more. In fact, there were very good reasons why Wave Maidens were associated with temptation. But, at that time, she was not in the least appreciative of his indulgence. 

His resorting to alcohol again wasn’t terribly shocking. It was the gaiety. Here he had picked a fight with her then gone off to carouse. For hours she had stewed in consternation while he was having a merry old time. Did he even care that he’d hurt her feelings? She had never known him to be so utterly inconsiderate. Her thoughts first went where a woman’s naturally does when their mate’s behavior changes so radically. Could there possibly have been someone else during their time apart; someone that he’d left on Sakaar or lost in the Snap? She couldn’t, wouldn’t, let herself believe that. No way. Not her Thor. 

But this didn’t seem like her Thor lately. 

Since they arrived in New Asgard, there had been a definitive shift in the relationship. He had been loving, even urgently needy when they got there but, later brash and incompetent in multiple contexts. He had become short-tempered and unreasonable. Even when he was calm and pleasant, she sensed an underlying sadness. Everyone was enduring similarly, but his swinging moods were extreme. There was more going on than she’d been aware of. 

Thinking back over the past weeks, she recalled all he had told her. Obviously, he still struggled with guilt over The Snap. Thor couldn’t help but feel largely responsible. As the strongest Avenger, having the strongest weapon ever forged, there was no excuse for not eliminating Thanos. The time spent with the Avengers had helped him understand there had been plenty of blame to go around; that there had been more to the story, she thought. Yet, it appeared he was regressing and she couldn’t understand why. They both thought returning to his people would be a panacea. Evidently, it was having the opposite effect. 

The Maiden watched his movements closely. Others might not notice, but she detected a slight imbalance in the king’s stance. Puzzlement gave way to the indignation which had been brewing inside her.  

Among those egging him on was his greatly amused brother. Jarnsaxa sidled her way over and glared at Loki. “He’s thoroughly pickled,” he smugly pronounced. Someone else had, apparently, noticed. 

“You are encouraging this? You should be ashamed of yourself.” 

“I have done nothing to promote this behavior.” 

“But you’ve done nothing to dissuade him either.” 

The Trickster couldn’t help but smirk at her astute deduction. He would make it a point to commend Thor for aligning himself with a woman of such admirable intelligence.  

“In any case, we are enjoying ourselves. Isn’t that right, Brother?”  He had been told about the spat, and when he saw her state found it the perfect opportunity to cause some further harmless mischief, for old times’ sake. Fanning the flames would be sufficient. Knowing Thor, the oaf was likely to make things worse on his own.  

“Exactly so.” Thor raised his glass of ale and shouted, “Here’s to Loki. The best worst brother a man could ask for!” Another raucous cheer erupted among the patrons as they toasted the prince. 

Next, when he saw her, the Asgardian leader offered another toast. “And here’s to Jarnsaxa. The beautiful woman who wouldn’t be queen to the man who had no choice but to be king.” 

“You are absolutely ridiculous. A mockery to your title,” she replied, both angry and stung by the childish behavior. She didn’t understand why he kept putting her in awkward positions. During the past twenty-four hours, he had either been melancholy or foolishly drunk. He kept throwing her into inappropriate situations where she either had to hold her tongue or act like a shrew. This time she decided to simply turn and walk back out into the night. 

Inclined to return to his gaming, Thor was also hurriedly ushered out the door by Loki who insisted making amends sooner rather than later was well-advised. In truth, the rogue hoped to be entertained by continued drama. The void of society and culture in the small village often left him bored. The fact that the dumb ox would be at the receiving end of his cousin’s fury was too enticing an opportunity to pass up.  

She tried to recall a time having been so angry with Thor and couldn’t. Even while he had been with Jane, the siren’s jealous outbursts couldn’t hold a candle to the resentment broiling inside. 

She was walking towards the quay hoping the water would help settle her nerves, when she heard Thor call after her.  

“I want nothing to do with you right now, you sot,” she answered. 

“I'm not drunk. Maybe just a teensy-weensy bit intoxicated,” the tipsy god giggled. “I'll prove it to you,” he said, stumbling over to her. 

She put up her hands to block his approach. “Not in this state.” 

“C’mon, give Thorzy Worzy a little kiss.” He pawed at her. Jarnsaxa did her best to ward off his unwanted attention though he persisted. 

“I said no.” Suddenly, he froze and she was able to wriggle herself out of his clutches. He remained stuck in that state.  

Astonished, Loki asked, “What did you do?” 

“I’m manipulating his body’s water content. It’s not moving, so neither is he.” 

The Jotun circled around his brother, impressed. He poked the living statue a couple times to test for any kind of reaction. There was none. “This is fantastic. It won’t harm him?” 

“It’s like suspended animation.”  

When she released the captive, he nearly fell forward. Once he righted himself, Thor grumbled, “I didn’t realize you wielded such power.” 

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, mister! I have completely lost my patience with you. Your behavior has become intolerable.” 

“You haven’t exactly been all sweetness and light yourself,” he retorted. 

“Stop blaming me for your nasty disposition!” She shouted and gesticulated to drive the points home. “I don’t know what has gotten into you, but I’m not going to stand by and take this nonsense. I came for you. I abandoned what’s left of my family for you. Even though I thought it was a stupid idea, I stood by you when you and the Avengers went hunting down Thanos. The repeated times you put me on the spot in front of the Asgardians in the past day – it's been one day! - and I made every effort not to embarrass your royal highness. Meanwhile you’ve given no consideration to the fact I’ve lost people too. In fact, it seems as though it’s your mission to make life with you as difficult as possible!” Turning her back to him, she walked away. “I’m going home. If you know what’s good for you, stay away until morning.”  

She stopped and pointed at her cousin. “And, come to think of it, I’m not especially pleased with you right now either. Don’t think for one second I don’t know why you’re out here. Is seeing us upset fun? Have you had enough amusement for one evening?” 

Loki opened his mouth to protest, but luckily thought better of it. 

“Where am I supposed to spend the night?” Thor cried out. 

“Not my problem,” she called back. For good measure, the Wave Maiden lifted her arm in a sweeping motion. A large swell came up over the sea wall dousing both Odinsons. 


	12. Ill Crop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor is disappointed when he learns what it means to lead the Asgardians on Earth. J finds a way to boost his ego.

The fact that he was completely naked didn’t immediately concern Thor, until his eyes focused in on unfamiliar surroundings. He jumped out of the strange bed, panicked that he’d done something catastrophically stupid. Things certainly hadn’t been going his way recently and he was beginning to distrust his instincts.  

Unable to find his clothes, he wrapped the sheet around himself and gingerly cracked open the bedroom door.  At first, he was afraid to look out. He kept both eyes shut and bolstered himself. _Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way you would have betrayed her. Stop cowering like a frightened kitten._   

Taking a deep breath with a valiant stride over the threshold, the god opened his eyes to face whatever music awaited. The site he met with brought a lengthy sigh of relief. Korg and Miek greeting him from the couch in the tiny living room of the tiny shack brought back the night’s events for him.  

After Jarnsaxa had left him by the quay, so had his embittered brother. Cold and wet, Thor had begun staggering back towards the pub where he could sit by the fire when his friends happened by. They offered a place to stay the night and helped him to their home where he promptly passed out. Korg claimed the pair had no choice but to disrobe him and hang the sodden clothes to dry. Apparently, the act had been quite disconcerting for Miek, for whom the Kronan had to spend an inordinate amount of time explaining how mammalian reproduction worked. The insectoid mumbled still being sorry for having asked.  

Anxiety rose in Thor again when he saw what the time was. Dressing then thanking the duo for their hospitality, Thor all but ran down the street. He was late for the council meeting. Rushing through the doors of the town hall, he was met with six pairs of eyes, all trying to disguise their annoyance. All except his brother, that is.  

Once greetings and introductions were made, the group promptly got down to business. They explained to him that ruling over New Asgard was very different than what he was used to on their home planet. Quite a bit of time was spent to explain the hierarchy of government, the duties of the town council as well as how roles had changed due to the influx of refugees and then The Snap.  Finally, they discussed the leader of the committee, Councilperson. Valkyrie temporarily held the position but was naturally stepping down for him.   

“Are you trying to tell me I’m no longer king?”  

Heimdall explained, “Technically, you are still king of the Asgardians. But, I’m afraid, here the title would be meaningless. Norway already has a king, Harald V.”  

“I will simply meet with this Harald and explain the situation. Surely, once he is made to understand, he will have no objection to my claim over one little hamlet.”  

“Brother,” Loki interjected. “That’s not realistic. This is the way it has been here for centuries. Even if such a thing were possible, the people here do not wish to change the manner of governing.”  

“Well, what does a chair person do?”  

“Chairperson. One word,” Heimdall corrected. “They preside over and lead council meetings. Also, represent the council in civic and ceremonial duties.”  

“I would pass down rulings and judgments, too, right?”  

Valkyrie answered, “Um. No, that’s all done by vote or deferred to the municipality as necessary.” She saw Thor’s displeased face. “But if there's a tied vote, you get the deciding one,” she added enthusiastically.  

“And what do the rest of you do?”  

“There are many functions and sub-committees to oversee. Education, Libraries and Recreation, Strategic Planning, Housing, Trade, Waste Management, Public Utilities, Budgets...”  

“Okay. I get the gist of it.” The remainder of the meeting was spent bringing him up-to-date on current projects. He sat through the whole thing with his arms crossed, distaste coming off him in waves.  

As everyone left after dismissal, Loki pulled Thor aside. “What was that embarrassing display?”  

“I don’t know what you mean?”  

“You show up twenty minutes late, looking like you just rolled out of bed then behave like a petulant child who had his sweets stolen from him. This from someone who claimed he didn’t want to sit on the throne.”  

“I did not want to be king, but once resigned to that fate, I expected to rule. Not waste my time as a meaningless puppet.”  

“Meaningless? Thor, the Asgardians require leadership. They look to you for guidance and as a moral compass. Take it from someone who has been there, that is a weighty task.”  

Thor walked off in a huff. On the way back to the cottage, he continued to stew over his disappointment at the meeting’s outcome. He hadn’t been sure what to expect, but it was more than being just a figurehead.  

Again, Thor wondered what life would have been like had he never gone on the fruitless quest to find the Infinity Stones. Of course, Jarnsaxa’s assessment had been correct. Hela would have gained complete control of Asgard forcing any survivors to do her evil bidding. There was no way he could have born that guilt. That which he already bore was hard enough. In the past, things always worked out for him. What had he done to make Fate take such a sharp turn?  

The closer he got to home, the more thoughts veered away from the politics towards his domestic duties. Well over half the day had passed and he had yet to make amends with Jarnsaxa. Thor feared the delay could made things worse and prayed to the gods she was in a forgiving mood.  

Debating on how to construct an appropriate apology, his memories continued to drift into the past. The things he had had to atone for while in London seemed comparatively frivolous. They had met only three years ago. Why did it feel like he had been so much younger and naïve then?  

On previous occasions, she had forgiven him rather easily, but those transgressions had been far less serious. He had never truly hurt her before. His recent selfish behavior honestly deserved more chastising than she had given out.  

The front door was pushed open and, next he knew, Jarnsaxa launched herself across the room into his arms. “Oh, Thor! I was worried I’d gone too far last night. I’m so glad you’re home.”  

“J, don’t be silly. I earned every bit of it. You were absolutely right and I’m sorry. I promise to do better. Will you forgive me?”  

“Always, my love. I can’t stay mad at you no matter how hard I try.”  

She pulled his face to hers, peppering kisses over his face. With a chuckle, he held her still to press his lips against hers. Soon, his tongue went in search of hers as it was wont. As his yearning grew, doubts began creeping into mind. There was some lack of confidence remaining. Yet, Jarnsaxa wasn’t insistent.   

She sensed it. Reticence was not something she was accustomed to from Thor, but she remained patient. Melting into his touch and sighing with pleasure were the only signs she used to encourage him along.  

This was something new. Pausing to look at her, briefly, Thor saw in her eyes that he was being given complete charge. She had never been completely submissive before.  

“I trust you.”   

Thor was still unsure. He had never engaged in full dominant versus submissive role. That was not something he had been interested in before. It was obvious that she knew exactly what she was doing, and he had to admit that the idea was extremely enticing in that moment.  

Jarsaxa wrapped her arms around him, put her cheek to his and whispered in his ear. “Please, take me.”  

A low growl came from his chest as he picked her up, carrying her to the bed and tossing her where she landed with a bounce. Seeing her joy incited him. He quickly stripped then crawled over to where she lay face up, propped up on both elbows. Kneeling between her legs, he literally tore her clothes off piece-by-piece. Her eyes grew wide with excitement, spurring him on.   

Not gently at all, he flipped her over and lifted her hips so that she was on all fours. Finding himself more than ready, he immediately plunged in, slow but deep. Each drive stimulated him further. Her as well, but she remained silent.  

“Is this what you want, J? I want to hear you,” he ordered.  

“Yes. God, yes!”  

With her words, he quickened his pace, barreling into her. Loud moans emanated from the cottage as he fucked into her, pulling her ass tight against his groin with each thrust. He pressed a palm between her shoulder blades signaling her to lean against the mattress. The change in position had her tightening around him.   

“Wait for me,” he commanded.   

His heavy thighs were slamming into her and she could hear him grunting. She begged, “Please, Thor!” as release drew near.  

“Not yet.”  

Letting out a cry of frustration, she focused on her breath to maintain control. He pounded like a jackhammer and just when she thought she could hold out no longer, he leaned over. With one hand placed on her shoulder, and the other grabbing her hip bone, Thor barked, “Now.”  

When Jarnsaxa began clamping down, he held her still and also let loose. He heard the clap of thunder strike as his vision whited out for a few seconds. When it returned, Thor was panting, sweating and utterly spent. The bed groaned when he collapsed onto it, the Wave Maiden adding her weight overtop his.  

“Are you okay?” he asked, worried what might have happened with the momentary loss of his faculties.  

“Absolutely fine. Why?” In her previous position, she couldn’t see that he had briefly lost control.  

“It wasn’t too rough?”   

“I would have said. Couldn’t you tell I enjoyed it?”  

“Yes, but...” For some reason, he didn’t want to tell her about what happened. The fact that he had taken such pleasure in that scenario was somewhat shameful although he couldn’t pin down why. He never before imagined he had those inclinations. “That was just a new experience for me.”  

Sated and happy that he was feeling more manly again, she added, “As far as I’m concerned that doesn’t have to be the last.”   

She had no idea how, later, she would regret those words. 


	13. Bad Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor is on a slippery slope. He starts to get out of hand.

He enjoyed the new bedroom dynamic a little too much.  

Had it been her idea? Yes. Had she encouraged it? Certainly. She wanted to continue making him happy. Did she take pleasure in it? Initially. It was different and, actually fun to watch him explore another side of himself. Allowing Thor to call those shots was fine with the Wave Maiden. Not only did he seem satisfied, he was downright happier. The smile had returned to his face and the gleam to his eye. For short whiles anyway. 

The power shift while lovemaking stuck, though. Initially, Thor had tried going back to the way things had been, the equal give-and-take or letting her guide him. He used to enjoy that. The communication between their bodies with no need of words. In fact, he oftentimes wished to get back to that. But, of late, it was as if they were speaking different languages. Every attempt at their old ways was unsuccessful. His body wouldn’t respond, as if it had forgotten somehow. The only way he could perform was to become completely dominant.  

And he liked that too. He liked it very much. 

The Wave Maiden also delighted in it at first. She wanted to please him, make him feel vital and strong. Having her shoulder forced down against the mattress, pushing her ass higher to meet his hips excited her by what might come next. Perhaps Thor would tease with his fingers, his tongue, the head of his cock until she was begging and pleading for deliverance. Or he might dive straight in, knowing exactly where and how to coax an immediate response out of her. 

Moments of domestic bliss taking sudden turns to an erotic encounter were becoming the norm. Whether it be a word, a glance, a smell she never knew. They could be having a quiet meal one minute, Thor’s other insatiable hunger overtaking them the next.  

Jarnsaxa had to admit a certain satisfaction in being able to provide her man what he needed. In knowing her lover had the confidence to take the reins and drive them both to mind blowing orgasms. With that certainty definitively established, Thor then began trying new things, testing limits. As a siren, there wasn’t much she hadn’t done. To a greater extent it was about the god figuring out how to satisfy himself. 

It turned out what he wanted was simply the control and power. 

But it was no longer fun when her needs continually took a backseat to his. He started to get rougher both emotionally and physically. While no one would ever accuse the Wave Maiden of being frail or weak in any sense of the word, he was venturing awfully close to that line between pleasure and pain. 

This went on for longer than it probably should because it was such a confusing time. The seductress had been seduced. Thor, who had always been caring afterwards, became exceptionally sweet. The Thor she fell in love with in London returned briefly. The man she had known to still be inside, for some reason hidden away after The Snap, would reveal himself for a short while. Until he had to make his way back out to the real world once more. Then the cycle would start over again. 

Intentional or not, he was pulling away. She could no longer read past his baser feelings. He was sad. He was angry. He was hurt. Something, or things, during their time apart had affected him deeply, but she could not determine the source. There were many details he had yet to share. She tried to ask, but whenever she brought it up, he would evade the subject or try to make light of it. She would catch him with a faraway look and ask “Where are you?” He would give a half-hearted smile and utter some small fib. Thor was blocking something from her, from others, from himself. There was an unknown evil that had its hooks in the god and she was at a loss.  

She almost wished it was another woman. That she knew how to fight. 

The only link she felt left was the physical. So, when the intelligent, experienced siren knew it was time to reel him in, she didn’t due to her fear that tether might slip away. As long as they still had that, there was hope, she reasoned. If they could only ride it out. 

As these things tend to do, it eventually went too far. They were in a position facing each other. She complied with his demand to look at him. His face was vacant but full of anger. Although she knew it had nothing to do with her, it broke her heart to see and, without consent she errantly spoke his name, “Thor?”  

His eyes took on the terrifying white cast as his muscles tensed. He pushed himself away from her as a clap of thunder sounded. Electric charges were visibly traveling along his broad form and he walked out of the cottage into the deluge that rained down. Jarnsaxa, thankful their cottage was relatively remote, watched as he stepped into the dark and unleashed a torrent of lightning with a loud roar like a wounded animal. As he dropped to his knees, she followed, wrapping herself around the sobbing giant as best she could. 

After coaxing him inside, Jarnsaxa draped blankets around them and lit a fire. His good eye still held a world of pain but, at least, the wracking sobs had abated. She let him be while heating some hard cider to settle both their nerves.  While she worked in the kitchen, Thor stared blankly at the burning logs, listening to the heavy rain. His trance was broken with the handing of a warm mug. 

It wounded him when he looked up, seeing the uncertainty on her face. He took her hand, gently pulling her to sit by him. Yet, he couldn’t look directly at her. He was ashamed. “I was very close to hurting you.” 

“I'm sorry I spoke out of turn, but...”  

“No, J. You’ve done nothing wrong. What I’ve been doing. It isn’t right. It needs to stop. I fear I’m very close to losing control of my powers. Of myself.”  

Jarnsaxa left briefly to retrieve a towel, then tenderly dried his hair and cleaned him up before seeing to herself. They sat by the fire silently for a while before she ventured a suggestion. “I think we should consult The Healer.” 

“You think I’m ill?” 

“I think we should at least rule it out.” 

He didn’t like the idea of being any weaker than he already felt, but he feared becoming a threat to anyone. Her most of all. “If it will please you.” 

“It will, but this is for you, Thor. You have to want to remedy whatever this is. I have a feeling there is more going on here than meets the eye. Whatever this is, it’s not going to be an easy fix.” 

The next day, Jarnsaxa found herself sighing as she struggled to keep up with Thor on the brisk walk through the village. To say he was tense would be an understatement. She didn’t know why she was surprised. Why she had dared hope that day would have been different from any of the others. 

“What’s the matter now?” she pleaded. 

“You heard Eir. There’s nothing wrong with me.” Thor grumbled. 

“Those were not her words.” They were told that the king’s brain did show scarring indicative of recent trauma. The scans also showed extensive remapping in areas around the damaged areas as expected. To put it plainly, there was nothing physical that required correction. His body had repaired itself.  

He stopped in his tracks, looked to make sure no one was listening and whispered harshly. “I do not require counseling. I am not deranged. She’s lucky I’m not my father. He would have had her dismissed and outcast immediately for even suggesting such a thing.” 

“That’s not fair. Eir has centuries experience as a Healer.” 

“You know, it wouldn’t surprise me if my brother had a hand in this.” 

“How could you possibly think such a thing?” 

“He knows more about the Tesseract and it’s powers than anyone alive. He had it in his cold little hands before handing it over to Thanos. Who knows what kind of spell he could have put on me.” 

“You are being completely unreasonable. Thor, would it really be so bad to just talk to someone? Give it a try. At least once before dismissing it.” 

As had become his habit when he uncomfortable, he walked off again. “This is not up for discussion. I have another meeting to attend. I’ll see you at home later.” 

Later came four hours past with Jarnsaxa jumping, frightened like a cat out of the reclined posed she was in, reading, when Thor burst through the door. He sat down, hard, on the sofa which groaned in protest. The strong air of mead about him was hardly necessary to clue her in to where he had been. “You told me there was a Council meeting,” she chided. 

“There was. I appointed Valkyrie as my proxy until further notice then told them to come find me when I could be of real use. They won’t, though, because they've only just been patronizing me anyway. The Asgardians don’t need me. My presence is currently unwelcome in the other Realms and even the Avengers are defunct. J, I am completely and utterly useless.” 


	14. Rage and Ruin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matters only get worse as Thor finally admits what's at the heart of his troubles.

Aware how precarious his state of mind had become, Thor slowly retreated from society. The few he did interact with tried reasoning, pleading, then arguing with him to get professional help. He was convinced it would be wasted effort since they couldn’t go back in time in order to remedy his errors. There was no cure for failure, he insisted. 

Loki was greatly concerned, but his brother dismissed him at every turn. The prince would either be completely ignored or bullied away. Heimdall was avoided at all costs. Thor felt unable to face the former gatekeeper who saw everything. When Valkyrie tried punching sense into him, the god refused to fight back. She was unable to be too hard, anyway, having intimate knowledge of that type of suffering. The best she could do was help Jarnsaxa understand what the Avenger might be thinking. 

Most of the god's time was spent with Korg and Miek whom, he felt, were the only ones not passing judgement. He could do as he liked. They felt a debt owned their friend who freed them from captivity and were happy enough just to have him around. The pair, who had become enamored with Earthly media, taught him to play video games. Thor spent hour upon hour losing himself in fantasy worlds where he could create his own characters and fight battle after battle with no real consequences.  

His mood became less erratic, but gave way to a constant depression. He neglected himself, grew softer, then questioned his attractiveness. Jarnsaxa insisted that was ridiculous, constantly reminding him how much he was desired. His aggression had been replaced by needs for comfort and reassurance. It was the one remaining pleasure in his life. The singular brief period he could forget everything else and completely lose himself. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t soothe him for long. In between times, his waning energy was reserved solely to fill his belly or lift mug after mug of ale. Intoxication was the only method that helped quiet his tortured mind and kept the nightmares at bay. For months, the hours were filled by sleeping, eating, drinking, and fucking. 

Yet, he lost even that. During one night’s inebriated love making, he was in the final throes when strange words left his mouth. “I want to fill you full with my seed and watch your belly grow round with my child.” Once sense returned to him, there was an awful look on the Wave Maiden’s face. Almost as if he’d slapped her. Considering her infertility, there were few ways to have hurt her worse.  

With the explanation that it must have simply been base, animal instinct overtaking him, he apologized repeatedly. For days, she couldn’t look at him, heartbroken at the thought of being unfit in his eyes. When she finally came around, it was too late. Obviously, there were no limits to the atrocities he’d become capable of. Eventually, he would destroy her one way or another. Thor had decided to literally keep her at arm’s length. 

Her own health became at risk. Due to the strain, she had no appetite. Many nights, sleep was abandoned, wondering if and when Thor would come home and worrying over him when he did. Most of her time was used spent trying to find something or someone that could turn him around. Out of necessity, she leaned heavily on her new friends who wanted to help, but her cousin most of all.  

When Loki realized she had also become depressed, he grew angry. One night, he decided to keep Jarnsaxa company during the vigil that had become a nightly occurrence. The minute Thor’s hulking frame stumbled through the door, he was thrown by an unseen force and pinned against the nearest wall by ethereal, green glowing bindings.  

“What the hell?” he shouted, uselessly struggling against the confinement. 

“Putting you in your place has been long overdue, brother,” Loki sat back and growled.  

“I knew it was only a matter of time ‘til you’d be worming your way in here.” 

“What do you mean by that? Speak plainly.” 

“You think I don’t notice you spending more and more time together?” He looked at Jarnsaxa, “Think I don’t notice how often you seek his solace?” 

“Have you completely lost your senses? We’re family!” 

“Barely.” 

“How could you think that of me, Thor?” Jarnsaxa wailed, both indignant and pained by the accusation.  

"A lot of things I never thought could have happened have happened. Every time I think things can’t get worse, they do!” 

“Lately, it has all been of your own doing,” Loki countered. 

Thor winced at the stinging retort that struck true. “And what do you mean to accomplish by this?”  

“I'm hoping to knock some sense into you. We’ve run out of options, and I’ll not sit idly by and let her go down with you. Not if I can help it.” 

“What are you talking about?” Thor whined. 

“If for one moment you stopped obsessing about whatever your problem is, you’d see what you’re doing to her. The woman you supposedly love. For months now, you have consumed her every waking moment. Not only is she getting nothing in return, you continue to take more and more. I honestly don’t know where she finds the strength, but it’s tearing her apart. You’re a black hole of despair.” 

Thor relaxed and sighed, “Let me go.” When Loki didn’t respond, he added, “I’ll not fight you. Everything you say is true.” The bindings were released. Heavy boots hit the floor with a loud thud, but the room was otherwise silent. 

The two Jotuns watched the wounded lion of a man cautiously. The deflated blond walked over to the hearth against which Stormbreaker rest. When he picked it up, Jarnsaxa asked, “What are you doing?” 

“I should go.” 

Standing, she argued, “Go where?” 

“I’ll stay with Korg and Miek.” 

“You’re leaving me? How will that help anything?” she cried out. As she stepped forward, he put up his left hand to halt her. 

“Don’t. It’s best you keep away. Loki’s right. I’m no longer worthy, J. Of you or anyone else.” 

“That’s not true, Thor.” 

“Of course, it is. Look at the facts. When Father told us about Hela, my heart filled with turmoil, doubt, fear and contempt. My sister easily took Mjolnir from me and destroyed it. Then that monster arrived and I managed to make things worse by seeking revenge, not once but twice. All of these dishonorable feelings are now cemented. In here,” he said, tapping at his chest. “I can’t shake them and they are ruining me. I can’t let them ruin you too.” 

She burst into tears as Loki tried to console her. “Maybe it’s best if he goes for a while.” 

Thor walked out the door, the sound of her cries ringing in his ears. 


	15. The Lull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some time apart, Thor and Jarnsaxa come back together.

For weeks, Thor ignored Jarnsaxa’s daily efforts to lure him back home. He shut himself away. Sure the siren would easily weaken his resolve, he would hide in the corners of his friends’ hut and listen to music using noise cancelling headphones. The very sound of her voice, let alone the crying, was a struggle to resist. Each day, Korg had the distasteful job of confirming the god refused to see her. Thor wouldn’t even accept any message the Kronin was asked to pass on. 

Cunning and guile afforded Loki better luck on occasion. The Trickster would transform into the cable guy or a pizza delivery person. The first few times he did this, as soon as the guise was dropped, Thor manhandled him and literally tossed him out on his backside. Afterwards, the illusions were maintained during each brief visit so that he could at least get a visual.   

With no other options available, Jarnsaxa took her cousin’s advice and focused on rebuilding her own identity. Revolving her world around Thor was no longer benefiting anyone. In fact, sometimes she wondered if she’d done more harm than good. She started by resuming her work as well as socializing with the other Asgardians. In addition to immersing herself in the community, she retreated to the sea frequently, to assist with familial obligations and Nat’s search for Clint Barton. Most often, merely to soothe her soul.  

During late evenings, whenever possible, Thor would venture outside to get some fresh air and gaze at the stars. The centuries of travelling among them never dulled their appeal. The fjord, bedazzled by the reflection of the sky, was often disrupted by a sole figure swimming silently across the frigid water. Sometimes, when she surfaced, the celestial light would illuminate her skin. His memory would flashback to the north seas of Scotland, where the Jotun first revealed her true form. He had thought himself enchanted by the beautiful goddess then, when in reality he had been under her spell all along.  

The recollection was a happy one, but knowing that headstrong, fearless young man was gone – hell, that whole world was gone – weighed heavy. The torment would return, forcing him back inside. He couldn’t risk being caught. A drink or two and some gaming with buddies would soon make life tolerable enough. 

The Maiden eventually decided to remedy the lengthy postponement of a visit to the Sea Palace. The break was a pallative to the wounds still raw and painful. However, the amount of work needing to be done due to vast losses in the underwater kingdom was astonishing. She felt terribly guilty for having neglected them and stayed until she felt somewhat redeemed. Weeks turned into months. When Jarnsaxa returned to New Asgard, Loki tried gently to prepare her for how badly his brother had spiraled. Thor's bathing and grooming habits were spotty at best and he maintained a constant state of inebriation.  

Perhaps the lengthy separation finally compelled Thor to see her. Unconcerned with the why, she focused on the how. Anxiously, Jarnsaxa cracked opened a few windows to air out the abandoned cottage and lit a fire. She changed into a stormy blue, knit wrap dress that was one of his favorites. Multiple times, she checked her makeup and tidied her wild, dark curls. When there was nothing left to do but wait, she took a small shot of Asgardian liquor to settle the nerves. 

The circumstance had her at a disadvantage. She’d never been less than one-hundred percent confident in her ability to control a romantic rendezvous. Certainly, she could break out a bag full of seductive tricks, but that felt like cheating. What Jarnsaxa really wanted was Thor coming home of his free will. 

She jumped, startled by the knock at the door. Despite her tempestuous emotions, she steeled herself. Taking a deep, calming breath, Jarnsaxa opened it and was a bit astounded at the man standing on the other side. Contrary to Loki’s depiction, the golden god looked fine. His hair and beard, a couple inches longer from months of growth, were cleaned and combed. The heavy, navy pullover and grey, pleated slacks he had on were tidy. A familiar glimmer had returned to his blue eye. 

Rounded cheeks pulled his lips into an unsure smile. Holding a bouquet of wildflowers in his hands, shakily, Thor said, “Hello, J.” 

“Hello, Sparky. Don’t just stand there. Come in.” She pulled his sleeve to coax him through the doorway. “You don’t have to knock at your own house, you silly goose. Thank you for these,” she added, taking the bouquet, setting them aside. “They’re lovely. Now, are you just going to stand there or are you going to kiss me?” 

Thor hurriedly pulled her into his arms. Being embraced by him felt different. The same strength and warmth still there, but something she couldn’t put a finger on was different. 

“Oh, my love how I’ve missed you.”  

He kissed her so deeply, so affectionately, it elicited a moan. Yet, as her head slowed it’s spinning, she could taste the alcohol on his tongue, allaying her fervor. “You’ve been drinking?” 

“Just enough to keep me calm. Considering how our reunions are typically carried out, I didn’t want to mess it up.”  

In her estimation, Thor seemed sober enough. Down the road, she would admit allowing passion to override any other emotional or logical thought. Then, Jarnsaxa wasn’t weighing options. Her base needs having been deprived for so long, they leaped at the chance of attention.  

And, of course, there was “that thing”. Goosebumps erupted along her entire body as the charged manifestation of his desire coursed through her. She had forgotten the thrill of it. Any remaining vestiges of sense she might have had were overcome. Tell-tale shivers ran up her spine. “You’re doing this on purpose?” she asked breathily. 

“Do you wish me to stop?” 

He brushed his bearded cheek against her own and she was lost. A particularly powerful pulsation resonated through the very center of her being. She could only shake her head in response. Thor hit the lights then eased her down onto the rug by the fire. His breathing came quick and shallow. Pressure and heat ignited between the two desperate bodies. “You’ve overtaken me once more, woman” Thor huffed. “I need you more than ever. Now.” His eyes beseeched hers. 

“Do you even need ask?” 

The hem of her dress was gathered in his large hand as he pushed the skirt above her thighs, up to her hips. He looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. 

“I didn’t see the necessity,” she explained, unashamed. 

A rumble rolled in the back of his throat as he hastily unfastened his pants. She helped push the trousers past his hips. Their intention to slow the pace was lost as he sank into her.  

There were a few thrusts and parries of the hips before he groaned, “Fuck. I can’t hold on much longer. Please tell me you’re with me.” 

“Yes, Thor. Yes!” she cried out. “It’s here. I’m...” The wind was knocked out of her as the orgasm tore through her like wildfire. Thor gave one last powerful thrust to bury himself completely. All muscles united in the effort to force out every last ounce of his essence.  

Watching carefully, as he regained his breath and became lucid, Jarnsaxa waited for a response. His face relaxed, the mouth widening into a broad smile. They didn’t need words. They knew what the other felt. He was relieved and proud of himself. She was happy to connect with him intimately by any means. 

With an offered hand, Thor helped her off the floor. They righted their clothing a bit before she led him into the bedroom. Jarnsaxa turned on the light and slipped out of her dress to stand naked in front of him. A cloud of insecurity came over the god’s face. “What is it?” 

“There have been changes. In my body.” 

This explained the previously indistinguishable difference she noticed. He felt pliable. “Dear, I love your body because it is yours. I do not love you because of your body.” 

He guardedly let her help remove his sweater. While he was remained extremely fit, more so than most mortal men, the edges weren’t quite so hard. The physique now had an extra layer of cushion. Hands were laid upon the supple flesh of his skin on his chest, traveling down the abdomen which had started to soften. “Did you imagine I might be displeased by this?” 

Tender touches he had longed for, dreamed of, had him excited all over again. Still, Thor watched for her reaction unconvinced Jarnsaxa wouldn’t be disappointed. When her hands reached the pants’ waist band, she looked into his eyes with a devilish grin. A long sigh let out the breath he hadn’t known had been trapped inside. “What is it?” he asked. 

Once fully stripped, he was led to lay down on the bed. Languidly straddling his hips, her hands resumed their work. “New is exciting,” she purred. “I want to go exploring.” A long time was spent on her venture. Every inch of his body was pleasurably examined and tested. His arousal was taken to unusual heights and he learned that shape could give and receive gratification just as well as the old. 

The night had been both emotionally and physically tiring for the Maiden. She lounged sleepily in the bed, head still in the clouds as Thor decided he had other needs also asking to be satisfied.  He left briefly, returning with a cold beer and a bag of chips. Snacking in bed was not something he'd done in the past, but Jarnsaxa was too happy to mind. Laying her head on against his chest, she smiled thinking it didn’t even matter if she woke the next day with crumbs in her hair. Her Thor was back and that was all that mattered. 


	16. The Sea of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jarnsaxa takes Thor to the Sea Palace to officially meet the remaining members of her family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned to be done with all the angst at this point, but Thor and I have some issues still needing to be worked out. 

The loss of Thor’s body heat triggered her waking the morning after their reunion. It had been a bit disconcerting considering he typically lounged in bed until she woke. Especially on colder mornings. Cool weather didn’t usually phase her, but he knew extreme conditions would made her reluctant to leave the cocoon of downy covers. Those days, he would stay to ease her into consciousness. Other times she would be risen by his pressing need.  

Considering Loki’s cautions, she couldn’t help but worry. Hopefully, he had only grown impatient for his coffee. 

She easily found him in the kitchen with the predictable large steaming mug. What was not expected was seeing a hefty dose of Bailey’s Irish Cream being poured into it. 

“Don’t you think it’s a little early for that?” 

“It’s literally half cream, and this is only my second cup.” When he saw her frown, Thor quickly downed the beverage, then placed the mug in the sink. The homecoming had gone so smoothly the night before, he was determined to avoid the least bit of confrontation. Pulling her to him in an embrace, he said, “I think I know what’s bothering you.” Kisses were bestowed along the length of her neck. “Left the bed too soon, didn’t I?” 

Still feeling needy from their time apart, with Thor playing her body like a virtuoso, Jarnsaxa forgot all about the question at hand. The only hands she cared about was the one that had found its way between her thighs, and the one that sought out his member. It took him no time to have her shuttering around his skillful fingers. 

Soon released, Thor turned her to face the counter. She braced herself as he easily slipped into her. The leverage was used to push herself further into him. Inwardly, she rejoiced at hearing his praise and approval articulated. A meaty paw wandered to her front and studied for a while. Another rendition of the same song was produced, with him in accompaniment. 

Yet, he was far from being done with her. Quickly scooped into his arms, the Maiden was carried back into bed. On all fours, Thor hovered above. “Now I’m going to make love to you properly,” he professed.  

The slow, methodical care he took with the undertaking had been truly inspired. Never having been left unsatisfied before, she wondered where this new level of skill came from. If her voice hadn’t already been preoccupied with making unladylike noises, she might have asked. 

Once Jarnsaxa was sufficiently driven into a blissful haze, Thor again left for the kitchen. However, she was mindful enough to follow and see him go straight for the fridge. He grabbed a beer and fixings for a sandwich. This new habit was curious. He used to always insist on cuddling even if it were only for a few minutes. 

By the time he walked back, food in hand, she was entering the shower. With a mouth in mid-chew he mumbled, “Thought we’d spend the day in bed together.” 

“Honestly! This is the first time in my life I can say I need a break,” she laughed, trying to make light of the situation. The last thing she wanted was to fodder any apprehensions. 

“You’re the last one I thought would ever complain.” 

“Not complaining. Let’s just pace ourselves, shall we?” He shrugged and went back to stuffing his face. 

When she came out of the bathroom, Thor was still sitting in bed. His head rest on his hands behind while he eyed her. She tossed the sheet over to cover his exposed lap. “Would you please stop staring at me like a hungry wolf?” 

“That’s exactly how I feel.” 

“If you could control your appetites for five minutes, I’d like to discuss something with you.” 

While he complied, she asked, “Do you remember when we were in London, at the aquarium, you asked to visit the Sea Palace?” 

“Of course. But I’ve been there.” 

“Yes, but how about a true holiday?” 

“Oh, J. I’m not sure that’s such a good idea right now. Your family is still mourning, I imagine.” 

“My sisters are eager to see you again. Although, I caution they can be a bit overwhelming. And Father would like to meet you properly. Get to know you.” 

“He probably wants to give me what-for in person,” Thor mumbled. 

“Not at all. Believe me.” 

“In that case, I would very much to see your home world.” Before he had a chance to change his mind, Jarnsaxa shuffled him into the bathroom to clean up and get ready.  

As much as she disliked it, using Stormbreaker was the easier method of getting him to the palace. The guards were on alert as soon as the Bifrost opened up at the gate. When they saw the princess with the Asgardian, they relaxed. “Welcome home, your royal highness,” they chimed in unison. 

“You remember Thor, King of Asgard.” 

They nodded, “Your majesty.” 

Thor looked at Jarnsaxa, who had transformed into her natural state somewhere along their trip. “You know, you really should walk around like that more often. The Asgardians wouldn’t mind.” 

“Trust me. It would cause more trouble than it’s worth.” 

It seemed, to Thor, that they had been walking for ages before finally coming upon the private wing of the palace. The sounds of a string quartet playing while the lilting voice of a siren sang along, led them to the conservatory. As soon as she opened the doors, the music stopped in favor of high-pitched squeals. 

He was once again stunned at how different each of the women were. Their physical characteristics varied so greatly, they didn’t look at all related. Only the tell-tale sea green eyes and tremendous beauty suggested any sort of kinship. 

The five enchantresses surrounded the couple, fawning over the god. They began talking at once. “You’re so big and strong.” “Even more handsome than I remember.” “So manly.” “Such beautiful eyes.” “I’m green with envy, J.”  

Thor blushed and giggled like a pre-pubescent youth.  

“Hands off, girls,” Jarnsaxa admonished. “You’re not to be left alone with them, you hear?” she whispered in his ear. 

“What is all the hullabaloo about?” King Aegir asked as he strolled into the room. “Well, what a pleasant surprise. We didn’t expect you back so soon. And with a guest, nonetheless. Welcome, your majesty.” 

“Thor, if you will. Please, sir. It’s a nice to see you again,” he said, heartily shaking the offered hand. “Oh! I brought you a gift.” From his jacket pocket, he produced a small, ornate bottle. 

“Is this what I think it is?” Aegir unscrewed the top and placed it under his nose. “Why, I haven’t had Asgardian liquor in ages. Thank you.” He turned to his daughters, “Girls, would you make sure the necessary preparations are made for our guest?” To his fellow king, he said, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m in the middle of some territorial disputes among walruses and sea lions.” 

Jarnsaxa took Thor to her rooms, where he was instantly captivated by the large window. He stood quite a while observing the sea creatures that passed by. “This is awesome!” His grin reminded her of happier times when they first met. With arms wrapped around his waist, she lay her head against his shoulder and watched along. She could feel the tension leaving his body and was pleased the change of scenery was providing some respite. 

Three more days of leisure in the underwater kingdom was spent before Jarnsaxa determined they should return to land. During their stay, Thor had shared a few drinks with her father and consumed an ample amount of food. However, he was much more moderated, trying to make a good impression on the family. She thought staying longer might do him yet more good, but Jarnsaxa could tell he was getting restless.  

The night before they were due to leave, Aegir asked to speak with Thor alone. He was taken into the king’s private study and invited to sit. Thor marveled at the large, dark sofa covered in a type of leather unlike he’d ever seen. 

Noting his curiosity, the Sea King said, “It’s eel skin.” He poured Thor a drink, handed it over and asked, “I believe both of us are too old and too experienced to mince words.” 

“I would agree with that.” 

“To put it plainly, I’d like to know what you mean to do with yourself.” 

“In what sense?” 

“In every sense. When Jarnsaxa last visited, she told us about the state of New Asgard. That things hadn’t worked out quite as expected. I'd like to know what your plans are. Will you be heading off to the other Realms, for instance?” 

“Not in the near future. They’re all in the midst of recovering from...rebuilding. Just as we all are. I plan to stay right here on Earth for the time being.” 

“Doing what exactly?” 

“I’m still figuring that out.” 

“I see. Son, a ruler can’t spend too much time sitting around on his arse. It doesn’t take long for his subjects to start questioning if he’s needed at all. Though Odin and I were not on speaking terms, I was truly sorry to hear of his, and your mother’s, passing. Should you find yourself wanting for advice, I should be happy to assist where I can.” 

“Thank you.” 

“That being said, my first priority will always be my daughter’s welfare.” 

"As it is mine.” 

“Yet, you left her for nearly two years, and for what? Some stones.” 

“It needed to be done. The fate of the universe was at stake. We discussed it. She understood.” 

“And what good did it do any of us? Granted, I do not know much about the business of other realms but if there’s one thing I know, it is my daughters.” Pointing towards the door, he added, “That girl out there is troubled unlike I’ve ever known her to be. I can only assume it is to do with you. I have no desire to interfere, but if you wish to be embraced as a member of this family, you will do right by her.” 

Thor nodded. “She is everything to me.” He stood as the King of The Sea rose to see him out. 

Aegir clapped him on the shoulder and said, “That is good to hear. I would hate to have to banish another Odinson.” 

On the way to find Jarnsaxa in her rooms, Thor realized she hadn’t divulged their recent struggles to her family. Was it in deference to privacy, or was she ashamed? He couldn’t help but wonder if he had ever truly been deserving of her or the throne. 

He was pensive the rest of the night, and all the next day when they returned to New Asgard. Aegir’s words had struck home. Exactly what was he supposed to do? The Asgardians didn’t need his help. They most likely no longer wanted it. Everyone seemed happy enough with the leadership Valkyrie and the rest of the Council provided.  

The remaining Realms also hadn’t been especially welcoming. Once he had explained how things had come to be, they were more than happy to see him on his way. 

In any case, he didn’t want to leave Jarnsaxa again. He had been gone far too long the last time he left Earth. Besides, their relationship was still on rocky ground. He knew it plainly enough. An underlying tension remained beneath their reconciliation. Her father had spoken the truth. He had to do right by her. She was owed that. 

Sadly, Thor had no idea how to regain his worth in any sense of the word. 


	17. Rough Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jarnsaxa sticks by Thor through his continuous ups and downs. Then Fate comes calling. 

Loki was growing tired of seeing his cousin in tears over his brother’s errant behavior. It hadn’t taken long for Jarnsaxa to appear at his door yet again in need of moral support. He longed for the days where she would stop by solely for pleasant conversation. Over cups of tea, they would talk about his work with the library and his newest project, the creation of an Arts Council. Or they might gossip.  

As of late, her visits had been nothing but upsetting. Heartache surrounded her like a heavy cloak. “What has he done now?” Loki asked.  

“He’s regressed. Again.” At her wit’s end, Jarnsaxa had tried keeping him preoccupied. It was the first time she used all of her skills as a goddess against him. What she hadn’t considered was Thor being a fertility god in his own right. His libido and stamina rivaled her own. In order to be more alluring than either the drinks or food, she had to keep him in a constant state of arousal. 

“Please spare me the details,” Loki grimaced. 

“I don’t know how to put it any more delicately than that.” 

Thor did consume less for a few days. However, they were exhausted and the minute she let her guard down, he was right back to overindulging. The scheme didn’t work. 

“Now, all he wants to do is sit around watching television or go to Korg’s and Miek’s to play video games.”  

“I did warn you.” 

“I thought my coming back would change some of that,” she pouted.  

She added there hadn’t been any nightmares to her knowledge, but still his sleep was fitful and erratic. The dreams were definitely disturbing. He often muttered unintelligibly and woke not feeling rested.  

“He’s still refuses counselling,” she said, frustrated. 

As he had done so many times before that he’d lost count, Loki offered her another consolatory hug. “If these were the old days, I’d take him over to the pub and start a brawl just so he could win it. Do you know of anyone who is in need of a good beating other than himself?” 

“No, but I have one last idea.”  

The plan was solid. Every contingency seemed to be covered. Of course, this was Thor they were discussing. A complex plot wouldn’t be necessary. Loki whole-heatedly agreed to help. 

That evening, Jarnsaxa told Thor their friends wished to meet at the pub. As soon as the god walked through the doors, Heimdall grabbed him and tossed him onto a chair. Loki conjured up the magical restraints. 

“Let me go!” the behemoth roared while struggling against the confines. “What manner of subversion is this?” 

Valkyrie threatened him with a small dagger. “Be still, your highness.” 

“J, are you going to just stand there?” 

“It’s for your own good.” 

“Oh, now you’ve turned against me, too?” 

“Thor, no one is against you. Everyone here cares about you.” 

“Well, you have a funny way of showing it.” 

Heimdall said, “If you swear, on your honor, that you will sit and hear us out, Loki will release you.” 

“Very well.” The foursome stared at him with skepticism. “I swear!” The bindings were released and Thor asked, “Can I at least have a drink?” 

“No!” the others shouted in unison. 

He crossed his beefy arms across his chest and sat back, resigned but still tense. “This is one of those intervention things, like on TV, isn’t it? How utterly insulting.” 

“Your drinking has become a serious problem, Thor. Not just for you, but it’s affecting everyone else in this room,” Jarnsaxa explained. 

“I can stop anytime I want. I just don’t want to.”  

“Said every addict ever,” Loki grumbled. 

“Hey! I’m not a drunk.” Midgardian alcohol truly didn’t have a great effect on him. Thor simply used it throughout the day to alleviate his anxiety and dampen the voices in his head. 

“It’s not just the drinking. Your diet is also out of control,” Jarnsaxa added. “It's unhealthy. You’re not caring for yourself properly. We’ve all done that we could to help. You need to see a professional.”  

The group took turns talking about their concerns and the things Thor had recently done that were upsetting. Each one gave him an ultimatum. Jarnsaxa’s hit him the hardest. “You have my heart, Thor, but I cannot continue to watch you self-destruct. You leave me little choice. Get therapy or you don’t come back to the cottage.” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

“We need a decision now.” 

“Then the answer is no.” He stood and headed towards the door. As he walked, he shouted, “Not one of you know what it’s like. To have Fate turn against you. Somewhere along the line I fell out of favor. I know not why. But it cut me down and each time I stood back up, it cut me down again with grave consequences. Lives were lost. Billions of people are gone because of me. So, believe me when I say it's best I stay down. This time for good.” He walked out letting the heavy door slam behind him.  

* * *

Finally resigned to the fact that nothing was going to help until Thor wanted to help himself, Jarnsaxa decided to return back to the Sea Palace. She hoped that would be motivation enough once again. When she went above to check on him a few weeks later, she was shocked at how far he had deteriorated. The excessive drinking and overeating had continued. On top of that, his hair and beard still hadn’t been trimmed. He stopped bothering to comb either out. 

Thor had convinced himself that he was no longer attractive. He rarely made any kind of attempt at his appearance. Although she still made love to him whenever they were together, he insisted it was only because they were bound and she pitied him. Just when he couldn’t get much lower, he would do a one-eighty. He would swear off the drink, clean himself up and claim he was on the mend. He would even go to therapy and return to the cottage. 

Unfortunately, this would last only a few weeks at most before some unknown trigger would send him spiraling. Then one of them would leave again. Thus, the couple was stuck in a cycle of spending time apart and coming back together.  

* * *

_Just over four_ _years later_  

"You almost had him with the beer,” Banner said. They stood on the quay, looking out over the fjord. 

Rocket shook his head, “He’s in no shape for this. Do we really need him?” 

“You saw for yourself what he’s capable of. He just needs to be reminded. I’m not sure how to convince him.” 

The raccoon scratched his head. “Hey! I wonder what happened to love-of-his-life, ‘we’ve been bound forever,” he said, mimicking the god. He approached Valkyrie, who eyed him warily. “Have you seen a mermaid around here?” 

The pair of Avengers heard a soft, deep voice behind them. “What do you want with her?” 

They turned around, Banner feeling chills down his spine. “Loki.” 

“I didn’t think vampires could go out in the daytime,” Rocket muttered. 

“I am not a vampire, you ridiculous creature.” 

“Don’t make him mad,” Bruce warned. “He might turn you into a rabbit or something worse.” 

“If you don’t want my help, I’ll leave you to it," he turned to go. 

“Wait. Please. We’re hoping she can get through to your brother. We need him.” 

“Brother?” a bewildered Rocket asked. “Thought you were supposed to be dead.” 

Loki turned back around. “I tend to surprise people. I can take you to her, but their relationship has been challenging, to put it mildly. I doubt you’ll have much success on your own, and she has a temper.” 

“You think you could do better?” 

“We’re cousins. Friends.” 

“Why would you help us?” Bruce asked. 

“I think he needs to do this. For his own sake.” 

“Excuse me if I doubt you care all of a sudden.” 

“Bruce, I have always loved my brother. Circumstances have changed. I’m no longer what you think.” 

“We’re out of options,” Rocket said. 

They were escorted through the village to the cottage. When Jarnsaxa opened the door, a look of consternation spread across her face. “Rocket! Bruce? What happened to you?” 

“Long story. It’s nice to see you again, J.” 

“Come in.” As she closed the door behind them, she said, “I’d say it’s nice to see you but I get the feeling you’re not here for just a friendly visit.” She directed them to sit. 

“We need your help. More specifically, persuading Thor to help us.” 

“To do what?” 

Rocket answered, “We’re going after Thanos. Back in time.” 

She shouted, “What?” while Loki said, “That is madness.” 

“It’s a shot at fixing all this.” Bruce explained the plan and how it would work. 

“What if you’re wrong. You’re messing with the natural order of things. There’s a high probability you will fail and only make it worse.” 

“We have to take the chance.” 

A furious look came over her face, but she calmly stood and said, “Get out of my house.” 

“J...” 

When she screamed, “Get out!” Loki stood and put his hands on his cousin’s arms. 

“I think he needs to do this,” he said gently. 

“Has everyone around here lost their minds? Am I the only one who understands how crazy this is?” 

“Thor told us himself of the guilt he feels. If there’s any possibility of redemption, it’s worth the risk. He needs to face his fears and feel strong again. It’s the only way.” 

“And what if he doesn’t make it back. What then?” 

“He’s an Asgardian. An Avenger. You knew what that entailed from the very beginning.” 

With a sigh, the siren conceded. “You’re right.” She asked Loki to take Banner and Rocket to the pub. They were to wait there until she joined them, hopefully with the god in tow. When they asked why they couldn’t go along, the goddess answered, “We’re going to need privacy.” 


	18. Fate Has Many Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jarnsaxa convinces Thor.

A well-prepared plan may have been prudent, but she knew any hesitation on her part would only be an invitation to backpedal. Dressed simply, in an oversized sweater and leggings, Jarnsaxa quickly dismissed the notion of changing or checking her appearance before running out the door. It was difficult enough to quell the numerous voices of reason nagging at her. Along the way, she decided to pull her hair out of its sloppy bun and attempted to smooth down the thick, wavy locks. It would have to do. Loki’s words were repeated like a mantra. “He needs to do this. It’s the only way.” 

The walk from the cottage to the quay typically took about ten minutes. With a mind already racing, she increased the pace in order to get there before talking herself out of the objective. The few folks who stopped to say hello were given a small wave and “Sorry. In a rush.” 

Never, in nearly two thousand years, had anything struck such a chilling fear into her as the prospect of Thor working with the Avengers again. There were too many uncertainties, too many dangers, too many possibilities. It was a huge gamble. Should the Avengers fail once more, the consequences could likely be more devastating than The Snap. She didn’t even want to think about what they might be prepared to do in order to gather all the Stones.  

Before Loki, Bruce and Rocket had started off for the pub, she had held her cousin back a moment. “Whatever gods you were taught to pray to, start now,” she pleaded. 

 _He needs to do this. It’s the only way._  

By the time she got there, the Wave Maiden was out of breath. Her haste had done little to stave off the anxiety. The cool air of the slight breeze replenished her strained lungs. She sat atop the sea wall, using the view to calm still jittery nerves. Darkness had fallen. The moonlit water brought back the night, years ago, when Thor surprised her with a jaunt to a remote beach on the North Sea. It was the first time she revealed her natural form to him. Used to mortals’ reactions, the awe on his face came as no surprise. But even under only the faint light of the moon and stars, she had seen more than just desire. There had been true affection there. 

Then the big dope took off all his clothes and ran through the water to join her, oblivious to the frigid temperature. 

A cackle unexpectedly escaped her, chasing away the misty-eyed nostalgia. The memory captured the very essence of the man she loved exactly. The Thor that was confident, brave and loyal to a fault. Everything a hero should be. Yes, he could also be impetuous, but he was also intelligent and considerate. What ultimately set him apart from all others, in her opinion, was his capacity to love. 

That Thor was hiding somewhere behind the fear and anguish which had overtaken him.  

“He needs to do this,” Jarnsaxa repeated aloud one more time. She hopped down and walked straight to the familiar shack. One last cleansing breath, then a determined rap against the wood door. 

“Hey, J!” Korg greeted.  

She handed him a few kroner. “Would you guys do me a favor and hang out at the pub for a while?” 

“No problemo. Thank you, kindly. Happy to oblige.” Miek scurried behind his humongous friend out the door. 

Thor sauntered into the room when he heard her voice. “Where are they going?” The loose flannel pajama pants and fingerless, knit gloves he had grown overly fond of were the only items he wore. 

“Out. I came to talk to you.” 

Thor grabbed a beer out of the bowl of ice that served as a makeshift cooler then took a heavy seat on the couch. An empty pizza box on one of the cushions was tossed randomly across the room. Popping the bottle open, he patted the seat beside him while taking a long drink. 

Jarnsaxa sat down and gently pried away the bottle, setting it on the side table. “I need your full attention.” 

“If I had known you were coming by to talk,” he put the last word in air quotes, “I would have cleaned up for you.” He took her hand and laid a soft kiss against her knuckles. 

“Bruce and Rocket came to see me.”  

“Did you have a nice visit?” He next kissed the inside of her wrist. 

“Not really. They came to discuss you. About your refusal to help your friends,” she answered, matter-of-factly.  

“Well, they shouldn’t have bothered. You’ve no need to worry,” he assured, softly. “I’m not going. End of story.” Scooting closer to her, he next began to kiss up her arm. 

“I think you should.”  

Thor froze and stared at her. “I don’t think I heard you right.” 

“You heard me just fine. You need to do this. Not only for them, but for yourself.” Ignoring his incredulous expression, Jarnsaxa went on. “It’s no good sitting around here, doing nothing, waiting for something to magically fix things for you. I think this is it. This is your shot.” 

“I won’t leave you again, J,” he insisted. “Look what happened last time. No. The risk is too great.” 

“Darling, I love you. But what we’re doing now, this back and forth, it’s no good. Neither of us is happy. It’s pointless.” He sat back, thinking, and she could sense the message was getting through. At least he was listening, not shutting her out. Hoping the mood would last, she continued. “I feel like you’ve given up on everything.” 

“Maybe I have,” he replied, staring at his feet. 

“Including us.”  

There was silence at first. Thor picked his head up, but was yet unable to look directly at her. “I know I’m no longer worthy of you, but I can’t seem to let you go.” There was a sharp, stinging sensation as Jarnsaxa slapped his arm. His eyes snapped to hers. “Yow!” he hollered, his right hand covering the offended left bicep. 

“Are you insane?” 

“I don’t know. Probably?” 

After a deep breath, she said, “I’m sorry for striking out. But, how could you think such a thing? There is no going for me, Thor. You have my heart. Whether you like it or not.” 

“And this is what you want me to do; for us? Travel through time on the _hope_ that Banner’s theories are correct, with the _hope_ that we can find and collect each Stone _and hope_ that this new technology of Stark’s doesn’t fail and _hope_ there aren’t unforeseen consequences and...” 

“Okay. Okay. Don’t think I haven’t considered all those things. When they came to me with this, I told them they were crazy. Unfortunately, they are right. Thanos upset the balance of the Universe despite his belief otherwise. The Avengers have found a way to possibly correct that, and they need you. But going with them has to be what _you_ want. Is there any part of you that still desires to be part of something greater?” 

“I want to help them. I do. But, how? I’m not what I used to be.” 

“They wouldn’t ask if you didn’t have something to offer.” 

“I’m scared, J. Really scared.” A tiny quiver passed over his lips. There was a hitch in his voice as he articulated the all the dread, doubt and guilt that continued to plague him. He explained the feelings were not just because of The Snap but also the destruction of Asgard, forgetting her while seeking out revenge after the attack on The Statesman plus his inability to be a proper king. The nightmares that had haunted him were described in detail. In addition to keeping him from flying off the handle, drinking kept them at bay. Of course, he knew that only further harmed his self-image, let alone having let himself go. He didn’t know what else to do. It was all too much. He was bowing under the strain of it all. 

Tears fell as Thor cried in his lover’s arms. Unlike the last time, the goddess did not try to offer platitudes or words of encouragement. She just held him as he let it all out, drying the tears as they abated. 

"I suppose this is my chance to put things right.” He sighed heavily. 

“That it is.” 

“You really believe I can do this?” 

“Of course, I do,” she kissed him. “You’re the God of Thunder. A big,” (kiss) “strong,” (kiss) “warrior.” (kiss) A certain pressure was building against her bottom. “You need to remember what that means. How it feels.” 

“I’m not sure I can do this without you. Come with me.” 

“Definitely not. I can’t be of any help. This is about you, anyway.” Her hand reached out to cover the bind rune marking his chest. “Besides, I am always with you. And you, me.” 

“Show me.” 

She hurriedly worked off her sweater, tossing it on the floor. His fingers traced the twin marking before pressing his lips to it. One of Thor’s hands went to Jarnsaxa’s back, while the other meaty paw clasped her breast. Between her clavicle and that sweet spot just below her ear, he trailed feathery kisses laced with heated breath. 

Unconsciously, her hips began a slow rocking back-and-forth motion over his ever-growing member. When he started fiddling with her waistband, she stood, slipped off her shoes then the pants as well.  

Jarnsaxa resumed her position seated over his lap. He slipped the straps of her bra down her arms, then pushed the cups below her breasts. Taking one in his mouth, his fingers slid past the lace of her panties finding her already wet. He toyed with her until she was panting. His tongue teased her nipples as he pushed two fingers inside, causing her to moan.  

She tugged at his tangled ropes of hair. He stopped to look at her wild eyes. “You’re close already? My, you’re a lustful girl.” 

“Only for you,” she answered. He continued to work slowly. Her hips began grinding more forcefully, trying to find more stimulation. Thor cooed Asgardian words of love and praise in her ear until she finally shuddered and cried out for him. 

Gently moving his hand, he began shifting to free himself. The lace panties were again pushed to the side. When he found they continued to be a nuisance, he tore them in two. Jarnsaxa slid down on him, hearing the familiar growl deep within his throat. He held firmly onto her buttocks as she began riding him rhythmically. Soon, Thor’s hips were snapping up to meet hers until he buried himself as far as he could go. His heat flooded her as he shook. 

“I’m not done with you yet,” he explained, righting his pants. “If I’m going off to battle, J, I need a proper sendoff.” He held her tight as he stood and carried her into the bedroom. 

A couple hours later, the pair walked into the pub. Bruce promptly asked, “It’s about time. What took you so long?” 

Rocket grouched, “For a guy with seven PhD’s, you sure are a dumbass.” 

“Fertility gods are quite verile,” Korg announced matter-of-factly. 

“You’re a what now?” The green giant asked Thor. 

“Let’s just get this show on the road. Shall we?” 


	19. A Friend In Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor starts having doubts when he reunites with the Avengers.

During the flight, Thor was indeed offered the promised beer, but declined it. He was already feeling rather elated by the prospect of a new adventure. Besides, learning that the time travel scheme precluded facing Thanos dissipated his most predominate fears. Hope began creeping into his heart and it felt good. Fate was offering him a chance to recapture his former glory. He wanted to be ready to meet that challenge. 

It was a shame he hadn’t had more time to prepare. He hadn’t trained in a long, long while. Unless you consider Fortnite and Call of Duty any sort of training, which he didn’t. _If there was a need for someone to sit around on their ass all day, I would be their man_ , he scoffed to himself. Despite the project sounding easy enough, experience taught him that Avengers needed to expect the unexpected. 

Past missions with Earth’s Mightiest Heros came to Thor’s mind. Working with a team was a pleasure he’d forgotten. The battles had, of course, been exhilarating, but it was more than that. Feeling he was needed, integral to their success, respected. These were what he missed most. 

If he were to be brutally honest, among his other problems, life in New Asgard bored him. There wasn’t anything to _do_ that interested him. Sure, the Asgardians, his loved ones, were there but clearly, they had no need of him. He served no purpose. And when it came to Jarnsaxa, well, she wasn’t exactly attached to the place either. 

He could do without the oft frigid temperatures, too. 

The sun was still fairly high in New York when The Benatar touched down at the compound. As soon as the trio walked down the lowered ramp, they were greeted by Rogers, Stark, Romanoff and Barton. It was good to see them again, faring well. Tony had a few wrinkles and looked a little tired. No doubt he was pulling his infamous working all-nighters. Clint had grown hardened over the years. Conversely, Natasha had a more affectionate air about her. Rogers was as strong as ever, but Thor recognized a jaded soldier when he saw one. Time had touched each of them. The important thing was, the original team members were back together again. A smile crossed Thor's face. Until, that was, he saw the sidelong glances his friends passed between each other. 

“Well, don’t you look...” Tony started before Natasha elbowed him in the ribs. “Comfortable?” 

Since he had kept his friends waiting so long while talking with Jarnsaxa, among other things, Thor had simply grabbed the clothes nearest at hand; the flannel pajama pants, a stained t-shirt, wrinkled cardigan, and a pair of Crocs. He hadn’t given a thought to what he wore and no one had said anything before they took off. Now seeing everyone else fit and well-groomed embarrassed him. 

“Um...I was in a rush,” he explained. With a tap of Stormbreaker’s handle to the ground, Thor changed into a clean set of t-shirt and sweatpants. He didn’t think it a vast improvement, but there was no way he was going to suffocate himself in a pair of jeans. 

“It’s good to see you again, buddy,” Steve said, clapping him on the back. The two big blonds had always held an unspoken respect for each other. Seeing the look of concern Rogers was trying to conceal bothered Thor deeply.  

Clint merely greeted him with a half-hearted, “Hey, man,” but then leaned over to Nat. “I sure missed a lot while I was gone.” 

The once-again redhead walked by Thor's side as they ventured inside. There was a question written on her face, but not the same one as the others. Unsure of what, if anything, Jarnsaxa had shared about their relationship with her friend, he only said, “J sends her love.” Nat replied with a sole, brief nod, to his relief. Hopefully, it would be left at that. He very much wanted to focus on the task at hand and forget about his personal problems for a short while. 

Beyond the entrance, there was yet another new face for him to meet. Scott Lang. “Ant-Man. I know. You never heard of me,” was exceptionally excited to meet “The actual God of Thunder, King of Asgard.” Although the title bristled slightly, he had to laugh when enthusiastically referred to as “your majesty”. Thor took a liking to the cheerful fellow instantly. 

Steve then suggested the three travelers get some rest. Food if they needed. The team could reconvene in the evening. None of them wanted to wait, however. Being the last to arrive, Thor wanted to get caught up quickly so there’d be no further delay. 

The entire team shuffled into the conference room. Everyone looked to Steve to start things off as usual. He deferred to Tony who started reviewing the technical aspects of the time machine. 

“I have no wish to be rude,” Thor interrupted. “But, have you all heard this already?” When they assented, he said, “Then there’s no need to repeat these details solely for my benefit. I trust the necessary precautions will be in place before we attempt this.” 

“This is unlike anything we’ve ever done before. You need to understand the personal risks involved. There’s still time to back out,” Steve argued. 

"I admit there have been some changes over the years, but I assure you I am just as strong and capable as ever.” 

“No one was questioning your ability.” 

Given the expressions he had seen on their faces earlier, Thor had a hard time believing that. “I have never backed out before, and I will not do so now.” He was reassuring himself more than anyone else. 

* * *

Thor’s nerves felt like livewires by the time supper rolled around. Chinese food, which he had not enjoyed since London, was brought in. Yet, he could hardly taste it for the anxiety running riot inside. The uncertainty of what they were undertaking as well as the uncertainty of his ability to meet the challenge lodged a pit in his stomach. The minute Hawkeye went to the fridge, retrieving a beer and asking if anyone wanted one, the god heartily answered, “Yes, please!” He ignored Rocket’s mumbling. 

* * *

Steve had always felt a special affinity towards Thor. Not only because they shared much of the same sense of duty, but because they both often felt like outsiders. His friend was a literal alien for heaven’s sake, a demi-god and royalty hundreds of years older than anyone in the room. Except for maybe Rocket. Nobody knew what the story was there. 

He had never known Thor to be an over-exuberant conversationalist, but to see him so quiet at dinner was disconcerting. As was the frequent surreptitious pours of Asgardian liquor into his drink. Steve was all too familiar with the expression on his face, as well. The fake smile plastered on in effort to avoid questions about things you didn’t want to think of, let alone discuss. 

Thor had seemed happy enough when he had left for New Asgard. Steve couldn’t stop wondering what happened over the last five years to bring the once confident warrior to such a state.  

Mealtime signaled the end of their work that day. Thor should be relaxing and at least trying to enjoy the camaraderie, Steve thought. Yet, he seemed less at ease the longer he sat there. Even Nebula had added more to the conversation. 

Containers and dishes cleared, the group began to disperse. Tony, Bruce and Rocket went off to fiddle some more with the time machine. The others wandered off into the common area to continue socializing and blow off some steam. Thor grabbed two more beers from the fridge and went down the dormitory hall. 

Not far behind, Steve caught him just as the door was about to shut. “Rogers,” Thor said jovially. “Can I help you with something?” 

“You haven’t really said much since you got here. Just wondering how you’ve been.” 

“As you can see, I want for nothing,” he tried joking, giving a pat to his round belly. However, the strained expression didn’t go unnoticed. Obviously, Thor was not comfortable with the way he looked. Self-confidence was a trait he used to have in abundance, but not vanity. So, it was disheartening that his appearance caused such uneasiness. Deeper, unaddressed issues must be to blame. 

In an effort to open up communication he asked, “The Asgardians doing well?” 

“Yes. They are thriving.” 

The conversation would not flow easily with the god being so guarded. It was very unlike him to be less than forthcoming. “You mentioned J earlier. You two are still together, I take it?” 

“Oh, yes. That is one thing I can always count on, thankfully.” 

Steve wasn’t quite sure what the statement implied. “Did you two marry?” 

“No.” 

There was clearly a mix of emotions in that one word and Steve wondered at the story behind it. Whatever it was, he didn’t think that was the root of Thor’s troubles. Without anything else to talk about, unfortunately, he was at a loss. “Well, it’s really good to have you back for a while. You know where to find us if you need anything. I’ll leave you to it then.” 

As he turned to go, Thor softly called out, “Steve?” Cap turned back around. “When you came out of the ice. After you woke up and you found yourself in a different time, a different world, how did you handle it?” 

The “Man Out of Time” leaned against the doorframe, folding his arms his chest. He took a moment to choose his words wisely. The unpleasant memories still caused him some anxiety after all the years. “I’m not going to lie. It was tough. Nothing was the same. I felt like I had to relearn so many things, and it was very lonely. There had been some of that when I became Captain America, but not to the same extent. Back then, I shared experiences with the SSR and Howling Commandos. When I woke in 2011, all my friends were gone and there was no one around who truly understood what I was going through. There were a lot of sleepless nights. Nightmares. SHIELD actually had counsellors work with me. When the Avengers were formed, the work gave me purpose. A reason for being here and to keep going. That’s ultimately what turned things around.” 

“Perhaps fate has played a hand in leading us all here. To make things right.” 

“I have to believe that.” 

“May I be frank with you? In confidence?” 

“Of course.” 

“Things have been...challenging since you last saw me. There’s a good chance I could let you all down again.” 

“Look, if you’re still blaming yourself for The Snap, you’re the only one. Regardless, every one of us has made mistakes. Hell, you remember, Tony created a global threat. The point is we always come together as a team. You have always been there when we needed you and given everything you could. We have no doubt you’ll do it this time as well. That’s all we ask.” 

“I’m not sure my everything will be enough.” 

“None of us are. That’s why we do it together.” 


	20. Loss and Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heimdall has to deliver J bad news. Saying goodbye to a good friend. Thanos arrives.

The mission was expected to take no more than a few days. Regardless, Jarnsaxa asked Heimdall to keep tabs on Thor regularly. The previous times he had left, she had operated under the assumption that no news was good news. Otherwise, she’d be able to do nothing but worry. Leaving their current plane of existence was a whole different matter.  

She had witnessed people try some insane stunts in her long lifespan. Attempting time travel was nothing new. Many fools who had tried, drove themselves mad in their pursuit. Tony Stark would be infinitely more successful, she felt sure, but there were far too many unknowns. 

Seeing how anxious she was, Heimdall thought it would ease Jarnsaxa’s mind to know how, exactly, the team planned to gather The Stones. He explained that Thor and Rocket were only responsible for extracting the Aether. Their plan was to get to Jane during the brief time she had been alone at the palace on Asgard. 

“He’ll be seeing the scientist again. In the past.” The seer nodded. Unfortunately, his intention backfired. Jarnsaxa became more agitated than before. 

When he asked why, she explained, “He loved her then. His thoughts are conflicted enough as it is. What if time travel makes him forget?”  

“There’s no reason to think that should happen.” Once Thor made the jump, however, Heimdall could no longer see him. His sight was only good for one reality. Luckily, he saw them return in under a minute. “They’re back. He was successful.” 

The Maiden noticed Heimdall’s face suddenly fall. “What is it? What’s happened?” 

He shook his head. “Thor is fine.” The news he had would hit hard, but he had no choice but to deliver it as compassionately as possible. He looked her in the eyes and said softly, “Natasha Romanoff did not make it back. She sacrificed herself for The Soul Stone.” 

* * *

Clint turned to Bruce. “I thought that bench went into the water.” The green giant turned to face in the direction it had been tossed. 

“It did. Tony, what are those things made of?” 

“The planks are composite plastic but the supports are a heavy grade steel. It shouldn’t be floating.” The four men walked to the edge of the pier, standing side-by-side. “And it definitely shouldn’t be heading this way. The current flows in the other direction.” Tony put his sunglasses back on. He was about to suit up when Thor stilled his hand. 

The men stared down at the bench that approached the small dock. The six Wave Maidens carrying it, surfaced from the water.  

“I believe this is yours,” Jarnsaxa addressed Tony. Bruce grabbed the bench while the other men helped the women out of the river. They gently shook the moisture off themselves, at the same time their gowns changing into human attire. 

Jarnsaxa went to Thor. Seeing how grieved she was, he instantly embraced her. “How did you know?” 

“Heimdall.” Wiping tears from her eyes, she turned to introduce the others to her sisters and explain how they had come to know Natasha through Fury. “Have you talked yet about doing some kind of service?” 

“You know, she would say don’t make a fuss. Give her a quick toast and move the hell on,” Clint asserted. Jarnsaxa agreed, chuckling at the image of her friend saying just that. “Alright then,” he continued. Hawkeye clapped his hands together as if to snap everyone out of their grief. “Let’s do this.” 

He ushered everyone inside then corralled the others to join them at the bar. Tony had already pulled out Nat’s favorite bottle of Stolichnaya vodka and began pouring shots. Once everyone had a glass in hand, he nodded at Clint, indicating he should say a few words.  

Jumping to stand on top of the bar, he said, “Here’s to Natalia “Natasha” Alianovna Romanoff, known as Nat to her friends. Possibly the most talented spy, definitely SHIELD agent, ever to walk the earth. Whose sarcastic wit could sting just as harshly as her Widow Bites. She was slow to trust, but when she did there was no more loyal friend. If she were here, she’d tell me to shut the fuck up by now. So, I’m going to do just that.” Clint raised his glass and said, “To Nat”. Everyone followed suit and joined him in downing their drinks. 

Completing the mission could wait one more day. They all spent the rest of the evening sharing stories through both laughter and tears. 

Later in the night, as the gathering dissipated, Steve noticed Clint sitting off in a corner looking morose. He walked over. Clint looked up and said, “It’s my fault. My best friend in the entire world and I failed her.” 

Steve pulled a chair over and sat down. “I felt the same way when Bucky fell from the train.” 

“How’d you get over it?” 

“I didn’t. But a good friend gave me some advice that helped. Maybe it’ll do the same for you. Allow her the dignity of her choice because she must have damn well thought you were worth it." 

* * *

Thor rose shortly after the blast. Something within The Gauntlet must have backfired. He crawled out from the debris, called out to his friends but got no response. There was no one else near him. The impact had thrown him well away from where the lab had formerly stood.  

A moment was taken to let his head clear before he surveyed the surroundings. Nothing within his vicinity was undamaged. Slowly making his way to open air, looking upon the utter destruction, he stopped at the sight of the massive spaceship in the sky. He knew that ship. The one that haunted his nightmares. The one belonging to Thanos. Thor didn’t want to believe it was possible, but there it was. 

His scan of the landscape confirmed his worst fear. The Mad Titan sat a few yards away in the midst of the rubble. He wore battle armor, an imposing weapon within arm’s reach. Thor understood the being before him must be from the past. How, he could not figure out, but he supposed it didn’t matter. He was there and that presented two choices; confront his most dreaded enemy or run. There really was no choice then, for he would never run. 

A younger Thor would most assuredly have charged straight ahead without a second thought. Would have rushed to his doom. He was grateful for the wisdom time and experience provided.  In that moment of self-reflection, Thor also realized that it was not really Thanos himself that he had feared all along. What he had been most afraid of was never again having the opportunity to face him. To right his wrong.  

Here fate had brought him yet another chance. 

Thor stepped onto the crag that gave him the best view of his foe. Without the benefit of any effective cover, he stood his ground and watched. Although he was plainly visible, still Thanos did nothing. The enemy had stopped attacking for a reason. _He knows we have The Stones_. _He means to collect them before laying waste_. 

No sooner had Thor made this deduction than Stark and Rogers arrived. This time would not be like the last. This time, the team was together. Everyone on the same page. They would prevail. He was sure of it. 

Thor called down the lightning. The power surged through every cell of his body. He was instantly clad in the black armor, his hair drawn back and his beard braided. Mjolnir flew into his left hand, Stormbreaker to his right.  

More importantly, he felt better prepared than ever. This time, he was aware of his shortcomings. At last, mindful of what he was and was not. The former brash arrogance was gone, as was his need for vengeance. The path he’d been on for the past five years had been hard, but he understood then why it had been necessary.  

This would be the fight of their lives. He was ready. 

* * *

The cottage door was rattled forcefully by whoever was pounding away at it. About to unleash a torrent of expletives at the perpetrator, Jarnsaxa froze when she saw the look on Heimdall’s face.  

“You are needed. The Hudson River.” As she shut the door behind her, prepared to take off running, Heimdall said, “I brought a vehicle. I’ll drive you down to the beach.” 

“Thor?” 

“Everyone is alright, but the Avenger Facility has been destroyed. Thanos.”  

“One of his followers?” she asked. 

“No. Himself. From the past.” 

“How?” Jarnsaxa tried to follow along as he explained about a past Nebula returning with them from the jump. More questions came to her mind, but by then they were at the shore. She wasted no time, getting out of the car and diving into the waves. 

* * *

Thanos drove Stormbreaker’s blade ever closer to the death blow. Thor was concerned, but not terribly dismayed. Perhaps there was a part of him that had known it wasn’t the end. Perhaps it was faith in his friends or his fate. Whatever the case may have been, the one thought that ran through his head was, “Well, this is ironic.” 

Without warning, the Titan was struck aside. Thor hadn’t seen it initially, but he would know the familiar hum of an airborne Mjolnir anywhere. Rather unusual considering he hadn’t called for it. He followed the direction of that sound and watched the hammer return into the hand of Rogers. For years he had suspected his friend could actually lift it. Worthy men had a way of recognizing it in others. 

“I knew it!” he cheered.  

* * *

Jarnsaxa met her sisters in the river that had overflowed its banks and continued to rage past the Avenger Facility. Water had already begun rushing into the decimated structure and the sirens had to redirect the current to keep it from flooding the entire countryside. She couldn’t see Thor from where she stood, but when the lightning came down, she was glad to know he was there. 

The Maidens’ turned when they saw a huge water spout near the compound. Jarnsaxa saw the wizard trying to hold the river back on his own. When he was noticed, a Chitaurian ship aimed straight at him necessitating he use one shield to block it while the other began to lose the battle against the tide. 

Jarnsaxa jumped in, riding the current to arrive at his side. “Why don’t you let me help with that?” she asked. He provided shields for her as she easily redirected the water’s flow. 

A deep, unmistakable timbre cried behind her, “J! You’re here!” 

“Literally everyone is here.” She did a double-take at Thor’s demeanor. Happy was not the appropriate word, but definitely courageous. Self-assured. It was good to see him wearing those again. “Love the look, by the way.” 

“You don’t think it’s too much?” he giggled and stroked the braid in his beard. 

“Not at all. If we didn’t have other priorities, I’d be happy to prove it to you.” She gave him a wink to reinforce her point. 

Doctor Strange hollered, “Really. Are you two, like, teenagers in human years? I’d tell you to get a room, but...oh, yeah...they’ve been destroyed!” 

“He’s got a point. As much as I’d love to chat, sweetie, we’re a bit busy. Could use an assist, though.” 

Lightning was brought down to Mjolnir. Thor shouted, “Whenever you’re ready!” Jarnsaxa made a sweeping motion with her left arm, causing another massive spout from the river to engulf the Chitaurian vessel. Thor directed his blast at the stream which dispersed the charge along the entire underside of the ship causing it to completely fail. As it crashed down, the siren had to yet again fight the displaced water from drowning everything in its path. 

“Okay. Pretty awesome. I’ll give you that one,” Strange admitted begrudgingly. 

“You get back and help your friends, Thor. We’ve got this.” 

He nodded and was about to go when he said, “You know, this means you’re an Avenger now.” 

“I'll be sure to hand in my resignation by morning.” 


	21. To Build A Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor takes on a new quest.

Thanos had been defeated and everyone paid respects to the man who saved them all. The wizard used the Time Stone to return the surroundings to its former glory. The majority of those who had fought, went back to their respective homes, but those who had been rooming in the compound stayed until the funeral. 

The days between were difficult for the few remaining original Avengers. Despite the other guests milling about, the Facility would never be the same. Without the man behind it all, their home away from home had been reduced to nothing more than a building.  

Steve’s face, more than the others, carried a haunted look. A deeper sadness, a despair, hovered around him. Perhaps it was the ultimate sacrifices made by his teammates. He had always been the one to unflinchingly throw his life on the line. He had been ready to do it again, yet he was the one still standing. Thor knew that feeling all too well.  

Then, he supposed, perhaps it was an uncertain future bothering Cap or concern over returning the Stones to their timelines. Everyone’s offer to assist had been refused. Steve was adamant that he be allowed to do it alone. He couldn’t bear to put any more lives at risk. 

The meaning wasn’t clear, but Thor heard volumes in what was not being said and he desperately wanted to do what he could to help his friend. He hated the idea of the man who always gave so much of himself to be wanting. Wondering if Jarnsaxa had a better sense of his state of mind, he asked if she could guess what the trouble might be. 

“He’s longing for something, and whatever it is causes him much conflict.” She knew Thor could empathize with that as well. 

He had spent hours talking with her.  Every detail of the time hop was recounted including the things he had learned about himself. He had allowed his failures to eat away at his self-esteem, thus causing a depression that turned into a vicious cycle. Only after he had, without hesitation, jumped at the chance of wielding the Gauntlet, knowing it most likely would result in death, could he admit how terribly low he had sunk.  

A lot of apologizing as well occurred during that conversation. Jarnsaxa tried to dissuade his repeated insistence that he’d been selfish. In the end, she realized it was something he needed to do. Part of the process. She delivered the forgiveness he sought and praised him for his growth. 

“I’d like to move back into the cottage with you. Be the partner you deserve,” he told her.  

Even though Jarnsaxa understood that Thor still didn’t feel quite whole, the rage and anger had left and he was finally taking responsibility for those things within his control. It seemed like a solid start in moving forward. 

So, when it was time for them to take their leave, they went back home together. 

* * *

Before they took off for Tonsberg, Thor found he had regained the ability to communicate with Heimdall. “You are aware we’re coming, of course, but please say nothing of it. I know I made a bit of a scene last time, but I do not want anyone to trouble themselves.” Knowing his people’s loved-ones were returned was reward enough.  

After setting Jarnsaxa down at the cottage, then storing Stormbreaker and Mjolnir, he made his way through town to his brother’s home. The greeting was a bit cool, though Loki could hardly be blamed. Still, he was invited in. The older sibling was taken aback by the realization he’d never before been inside the row house. It was surprisingly small and modest. The greatest extravagances he could see were the countless shelves of books and an oversized arm chair in the sitting room. 

Loki invited Thor to sit by the fire. “I don’t want to take up much of your time, and J will be waiting.” The Jotun simply nodded and waited for him to continue. “When I went back in time, I saw Mother.” An uncharacteristic expression of interest piqued from beneath the dark brows. “She asked how you fared. It made her happy to hear you found contentment.“ Loki looked away as he fought the tears stinging the backs of his eyes. “I’ve also come to apologize. You were undeniably a much better brother than I over the past few years.” 

“I admit having hoped things would go differently between us without the pressures of the court. But you still felt them, didn’t you?” 

“Yes, but I now know that was all in my own mind. All my life, I can only remember having to live up to Odin’s legacy.” 

“And what, exactly, did you think that entailed?” 

“Peace among the Realms. The prosperity of Asgard.” 

“Before I took the throne, the Realms were at peace. If memory serves, that was your doing. As was the saving of Asgard. We prosper.” 

“But I am no king here.” 

“Thor, no one can deny you’re a much better man than Odin ever was. I recall a time when that was more important to you than a title.”   

* * *

“I’m abdicating the throne.” 

“You’re making Loki king?” Jarnsaxa asked. 

Thor shook his head. “He doesn’t want it either. It’s a figurehead here. In reality, the Asgardians have had their leader all along. We just need to make it official. But don’t say anything yet. I have more pressing matters before I speak with Valkyrie.” 

“Such as?” 

“The Guardians will be here in two days' time,” Thor told her. 

“Really?” 

“Before we came home, they asked me if I wanted to join them on their travels. I think I do.” 

“Thor, we talked about this. Please, speak plainly with me. Do you or don’t you?” 

“It’s time to learn who I really am so I can be the man I want to be. The answer isn’t here. I’m not even sure if the Avengers are going to need me again for a while. I hope not. I hate to turn around and leave you again, but I need to do this. I am sorry.” 

“Nonsense. If this is what you need, then so be it.” 

“You’re not upset?” 

“Of course, I would love to be by your side every waking minute of the day, but I never figured you for a homebody. I wish you wouldn’t go so soon, but we have to take our opportunities as they come. That being said, now that you are reconnected to Heimdall, I expect regular updates.” 

“He will curse our names,” he joked. “What about you? Will you go back to your parents?” 

“No. That world no longer fulfills me. Guess I’ve been topside for too long. Loki is here as all my new friends. With everyone back, the inlet is going to get busy awfully fast. It will need looking after.” 

“There’s one more thing I’m hoping we can take care of before I go.” He reached into his pocket and palmed something she couldn’t see. “Seven years ago, you asked me to bind myself to you. Now, I’m hoping you’ll return the favor and officially become my wife.” He unfurled his fingers, presenting a delicate, gold filigree ring encrusted with very unusual looking jewels. “Mother gave it to me when I told her about you.” 

“You told her about me? I bet she was thrilled to hear you’ve taken up with a Wave Maiden.” 

“She was thrilled to know I found my true love. But don’t change the subject.” 

“I just can’t,” she laughed through tears. Thor was not surprised at the answer, despite his disappointment. “I can’t say no again.” 

“You will?” 

“Can a wedding be arranged that quickly?” 

“I asked Valkyrie to start making plans when she left New York.” 

“But you weren’t sure I’d say yes.” 

“I wasn’t, but I figured it’s easier to cancel a wedding than arrange one.” 

* * *

Even his lovemaking had changed. It was slow and measured. Like his body, softness was driven by undeniable strength. There was no rush. The purpose to his gratification consummated in memorizing the subtlety of her every move, the varied scents and flavors of her skin. He would become the cartographer of her flesh. Every contour mapped out by both sight and touch. 

During his fruitless search for the Infinity Stones, he remembered countless nights of longing. Able only to call forth unsatisfying, fleeting images as he tried to visualize the woman who had literally imprinted herself on his heart. They simply had not had enough time together before he left. He had learned from that mistake. He would not leave again until his mind could recreate her from head to toe. 

Baited breaths turned to lengthy sighs and moans, ending in gasps for air. Then it would start over again. There were no shouts nor screams, no thunderclaps or lightning strikes. Occasionally there was a giggle and even a tear or two. But the most prevailing sound was that of two hearts having learned to beat as one. 

* * *

The majority of Asgardians had expected a grand affair. If they’d had their way, Thor and Jarnsaxa would have gladly married with only those closest to them standing by. As it was, their friends were assured the entire town would riot if not allowed to view the royal wedding.  

Partly due to the rush, but mostly because they didn’t feel it was necessary, the couple simply exchanged vows and rings by the sea wall with the fjord as their backdrop. The bride’s attendants consisted of her eight sisters, while the groom’s were Loki, Heimdall, Valkyrie, Korg and Miek. 

Thor’s one request of her had been that she marry him in her true form, including her Wave Maiden gown. She, in turn, asked he appear in his armor as the warrior he was. Loki, however, did feel the need to glamour a few accents of silver and gold over the leather at the last minute. Some traditions should be upheld, after all. 

As one would expect, the Asgardians held yet another grand feast that night in the town’s hall. In a final moment of self-indulgence, Thor enjoyed reveling as a king one last time. Heimdall, knowing full well the truth of the matter, called for everyone to also raise glasses to their new queen. Jarnsaxa paid him back nicely, causing his drink to splash him in the face. 

Once they were sated with sufficient refreshments and merriment, the gods quietly slipped back to their home where they could finally savor a few quiet hours as man and wife. 

And for the first time in over five years, Thor could once again say he was truly happy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more short chapter left. 


	22. The Fertile Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor begins his new life. 

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Rocket shouted. He stood as tall as he could and stretched out both arms in the universally understood stance that gave everyone pause. “Guys, just put your weapons down and we’ll talk about this like rational adults. Well, one barely functional moron and one hot-headed demi god.” 

“No way,” Quill argued. “Lightning Man can still zap me. I have a right to have my own zapper.” 

“God of Thunder. Emphasis on the ‘god’ and I am not stupid enough to call lightning inside a vehicle where I myself am contained. Besides which, we are in space. Hence, no atmosphere. Hence, no lightning. Which you might actually know if you were an actual lord of anything instead of a pompous self-named...” 

“Alright. We get it!” Rocket yelled. 

“I, for one, would like to see them fight to the death,” Drax announced. 

Mantis clapped her hands together, “Me too! I’m bored.” 

Nebula said, “They could play paper football.” 

Everyone turned to stare at her. “How, in any way, would that resolve this?” Quill asked. 

Suddenly, Mantis blurted out, “What is wrong with him?” She then pointed at Thor. The god’s one natural eye had turned golden and he stared straight ahead unblinking. 

“Heimdall?” The Guardians waited until his next words followed. “If no one is in peril, how urgent could it be? I haven’t even been gone two months.” A moment later, still staring forward, he asked, “Rocket, how soon could we safely land?” 

The raccoon walked over to the holomap and entered in a quick calculation. “There’s a large moon seventeen hours, twenty-eight minutes from our current location. Give or take an additional ten to account for you and Quill arguing over whether we’d actually do it.” 

Thor announced to seemingly no one, “I’ll be there within two days.” His eye returned to its normal electric blue and he finally blinked. “I need to go.” 

“See ya,” said Quill, adding a sarcastic wave goodbye. 

“We need to redirect our course for that moon.” 

“Forget it. Just call up your rainbow and fly away, Lucky.” 

“The Bifrost would tear a hole in your ship.” 

Rocket intervened, “Quill, it’ll only take us an hour off our course. The sooner we land, the sooner you’ll be rid of him.” 

Peter rolled his eyes and huffed. “Fine! As your _captain_ , I will allow it,” he answered with his forty-first impersonation of Thor’s voice.       

* * *

The Bifrost dissipated and Heimdall came into view before him. “Why did you bring me to the center of town?” Thor asked. He hadn’t meant to be curt with his friend, but he had done nothing but worry since they last spoke. The seer had insisted he was sworn to secrecy and not allowed to tell Thor why he’d been recalled home. 

“J didn’t want any further delays. I'm to bring you to The Healer.” 

“The Healer? Why didn’t you tell me she’s ill?” Thor shouted. The axe and hammer were tossed aside and he took off running without waiting for an answer. 

Once he burst through the examination room door, never had any beast struck such terror in his heart as the sight before him. The medical staff were looking at the three-dimensional projection floating in the air and Loki was holding his cousin’s hand as she lay on the table weeping. 

Jarnsaxa held her hand out to Thor and said, “I’m so glad to see you. You’re just in time.” 

He rushed to her side, taking a closer look at the image everyone was studying. There were two ghastly-looking alien creatures staring back at him. They had huge heads with tiny beady black eyes, their bodies curled in on themselves ending in ugly little tails. “My gods! Are those things inside you?” 

“They sure are.” 

“How did it happen?” 

“I’m not quite sure, to be honest.” 

Thor turned to Loki, “Please tell me it’s not Dark Elves again.” 

“No, brother. This is the work of an Asgardian.” 

Every muscle in the god’s body tensed. “Who would do such a monstrous thing?” His hands curled up into fists and electricity began sparking between the fingers. 

“Thor, calm down!” Jarnsaxa pleaded. 

He took a deep breath and turned to The Healer. “I’m sorry. Can you get them out?” 

“She prefers to let them come out naturally. In about thirty to thirty-four weeks. If they’re not out by then we will intervene,” she snickered.  

The Wave Maiden also giggled and Thor pleaded, “J, you’re not thinking straight. These beasts obviously have some kind of hold over you already. If we wait that long, who knows what kind of havoc they will wreak.” 

“Oh, I have a pretty good idea.” Everyone laughed but Thor. 

“What is wrong with you people? There’s nothing in the least amusing about all this,” he roared. 

Jarnsaxa lifted herself up to a seated position, swinging her legs around to hang off the table. She took both Thor’s hands in hers and said, “I’m sorry. We have been having fun at your expense. I assure you, I’m perfectly fine.” 

He let out a lengthy sigh of relief. “Why would you go to such lengths to play this trick on me?” 

“It’s not a trick, Thor,” she answered with a smile. “I’m pregnant.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Jarnsaxa were a part of my life for over two years now. Even after I finished Part 1 and waited impatiently to see Endgame so I could begin work on Part 2. So, it's with mixed feelings I say goodbye to them. For a while, anyway. Who knows? Maybe Thor 4 will inspire further adventures.
> 
> Whatever stage of this ride you hopped on at, thank you for joining me on this journey!


	23. Daddy Thor Headcanon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had a number of requests for some Daddy! Thor. For all my efforts, I just don’t seem to get enough inspiration for a full one-shot. But here is my headcanon for anyone still interested.

  * Finding out he is going to be a father gives Thor new purpose. He immediately starts making plans for a bigger home. Because Jarnsaxa cries at the thought of giving up the cottage, he decides to add on. Once the designs are planned out, he does a lot of the work himself with Loki’s and Heimdall’s help.
  * All the strenuous activity starts to tone up his muscles again, but at the same time he is gaining some sympathy pregnancy weight, so he’s still quite cuddly.
  * Thor does a good job reassuring Jarnsaxa that she’ll be a great mom even though she has almost no experience with children. In turn, she often has to reassure him that he’ll be nothing like his father.
  * There are days Jarnsaxa has trouble getting out of bed. Not because she is tired or otherwise feels unwell, but because Thor loves to spend mornings talking to his babies. At night, he tells them old Asgardian tales.
  * He cries whenever a diaper commercial comes on the television.  
  * Weeks are spent with him questioning the safety of everything the mother of his children is doing. He is also fearful of making love to her. Finally, she drags him to the Healer so he can get reassurance from Eir’s own lips.
  * After that, he has trouble keeping his hands off of his wife. The bigger her belly grows, the worse he gets. He is always extra gentle, though.
  * Heimdall accidentally reveals to the couple that the twins are males. Thor makes sure that absolutely everyone in town knows, and then he FaceTimes with Bruce for two hours.
  * On the big day, the birthing team arrives (thanks to Heimdall again) before Jarnsaxa even realizes it’s time. Thor flips out not remembering a damned thing from the birthing classes. When the contractions start coming harder and closer together, he doesn’t handle it well. He is not accustomed to seeing his wife in pain. Thor demands, “Get those babies out now!” The midwife and her assistants work their Asgardian magic to make mom more comfortable and Thor, thankfully, comes to his senses.  
  * Thor helps bring each of his children into the world and cuts their cords using Stormbreaker as a sort of hallowing.
  * He asks for the boys to be named Modi (brave) and Magni (powerful). 



> “I like it: Modi and Magni Odinson,” Jarnsaxa agrees. 
> 
> “Well, they’d be Thorson,” he explains. “Because they’re my sons. I’m Odinson. My father was Borson. That’s how Asgardians do it.” 
> 
> “But we’re on Earth. It might be a bit confusing.” 
> 
> “You don’t even have a last name.” 
> 
> She concedes the point.

  * The twins are fraternal. Modi is blond like his dad, and Magni a brunet like his mother. They both have striking blue eyes.
  * Proud uncle, Loki, buys them rattles:  



And designs custom onesies:

He also teaches himself to crochet these booties:

  * Daddy! Thor loves to help tend to the babies’ needs. He loves to swaddle the boys, give them baths, sing them Asgardian lullabies and doesn’t even mind changing diapers. When they wake in the middle of the night, he’s more than happy to be the one to get up and take them to mom for feeding. The times he can get away with it, instead of putting them back in their crib, the mighty warrior will go back to sleep cradling a son in each of his massive arms.



**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this and will check out the rest of my Works list for more Thor and other Marvel characters.


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